A new project technology dubbed “Sustainable Livelihood Adaption (SLA) Project aimed at introducing women farmers to improved Integrated Groundnuts Oil Extraction Technologies has been launched in the Builsa South District of the Upper East Region.

The six month project is being implemented by LINK Ghana, a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO)- operating in the northern parts of the country with funding support from the Adaptation Fund Project (AFP) of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Launching the Project at Fumbisi, Mr Daniel A Kansake, the Northern Regional Manager of LINK Ghana, said the project is aimed at improving sustainable livelihoods adaptation for women through the introduction of improved integrated Groundnuts Oil Extraction Technologies.

“It is also to help improve the efficiency of groundnut oil extraction among women to help improve their incomes,” the Regional Manager said.
He said the project would organize improved quality groundnut oil extraction and packaging training for the project beneficiaries, facilitate the registration of groundnut oil extraction groups with the Business Advisory Services (BAS) and Cooperatives as Business Enterprises.

The project, he said, has among other goals to construct functional community oil extraction centres in the beneficiary communities with groundnut grinding machines, roasters and threshers, to facilitate value chain linkages among oil extractors in the areas of marketing and financial institutions as well as carry out gender baseline analysis.

He said the project which would be implemented in three communities, namely Gbedema Kunkua, Kasiesa and Gbedembilisi, targeting 2500 women beneficiaries with 50 lead women to be trained on the new technologies as agents of technology transfers in the District, may be up-scaled in the subsequent years to reach other communities.

He said despite the critical role women played in the groundnut oil business, the women have limited production technologies, knowledge and skills in producing quality and quantity of oil in a more efficient manner, hence the need for LINK Ghana to support the women group in the District.
“The enterprise does not only contribute to food security, the improvement of households incomes, but also provides a locus of job opportunities for a chain of actors including farmers, transporters, processors, and service providers”, he said.

Mr Daniel Gariba the District Chief Executive (DCE) of the area, lauded the effort of the NGO and the UNDP for selecting the District to implement the project adding that it fell in line within government’s policy of the One District, One Factory project.

Nab Atirekpere Ignatius III, the Chief of Gbedembilisi, said the Builsa South District was quite endowed with agriculture potentials, however, it was confronted with the challenges of value additions and marketing.

He expressed optimism that with the effective implementation of the project, it would help address some of the challenges confronting the district and called on other development partners to help the District exploit more of its natural resources for the development of the area.