Vegetable farmers need irrigation dams

The Vegetable Producers and Exporters Association of Ghana (VEPEAG) has appealed to the government and development partners in agriculture to assist them build small scale irrigation systems.

According to the Association, the absence of the facilities had been a major stumbling block to farmers to produce all year round vegetables.

Mr Victor S. Flow Mensah, the Administrative Manager of the Association, made the appeal at a three-day workshop for some vegetable farmers from the Central Region at Gomoa Buduatta.

The farmers were drawn from Gomoa West, Gomoa East, Agona West and East, Awutu Senya-West, Cape Coast, Mfantseman, Ekumfi and AjumakoEnyan-Essiam districts.

It was organized by VEPEAG and sponsored by Social Development Fund (SDF) under the Council for Vocational, Technical Education.

Some of the topics treated at the workshop were site selection, nursing management, marketing strategy, book keeping and business Plan. Mr Mensah suggested that such small irrigations could be provided to the farmers on credit basis.

He said another major challenge facing the Association members was the lack of cool chain service for storage of their produce.

Mr Joseph Tonto, President of the Association, said the ultimate aim of the capacity building training was to assist the farmers to produce good and healthy vegetables for Ghanaian and international markets.

Mr Tonto expressed regret that the production of vegetables had gone down drastically due to a number of difficulties facing farmers.

Dr Felix K. Akorli, an agronomist and resource person, introduced new chemical suitable for the vegetables to them.