Fumesua (Ash), July 28, GNA - The Crops Research Institute (CRI), with assistance from the Peanut Collaborative Research Support Programme (CRSP), and funding by the USAID and ACDI/VOCAR, has manufactured simple hand machines for use by farmers to shell ground nuts and shea nuts. Additionally, the institute has developed a water pumping machine. Demonstrating the operation of the machines at the Research Centre at Fumesua near Kumasi on Monday, Dr. Jack Brandis, a Volunteer and Director of Research and Development of Full Belly Project in United States, said he was confident that the machines would help to improve food processing and agriculture.

He said 50 kilogrammes of ground nuts could be shelled within an hour and that the machines are easy to operate and could last for 15 years. Dr. Michael Owusu-Akyaw, Coordinator of the programme and an Entomologist at CRI, said through the project many farmers in Ashanti, Brong-Ahafo and Eastern regions had been trained on integrated pest management in groundnut.

He said as a result of the participatory training by scientists from the CRI and the Savannah Agriculture Research Institute in Northern, Upper East and West regions grain yield of groundnuts had increased significantly.

Dr. Hans Adu-Dapaah, Director, CRI, said efforts would be made to manufacture more of the machines for farmers in Ashanti, the North and other parts of the country to promote the development of agriculture and called for support from other stakeholders. Miss Afia Appiah, Country Director, Farmer to Farmer Project of ACDI/VOCA, said it was her hope the machines would fill an important gap in the agro-processing industry.

Nana Ohene Mensah, Chief Technical Officer of the Institute, thanked the sponsors and said they would work hard to produce more for farmers. 28 July 09