About 500 out-growers in the Mion district of the Northern Region have benefitted from a free certified fertiliser programme and bee-hive production.

The project by Tilaa Company Ltd, (Ghana), a northern-based organisation, is geared toward the production of quality honey, cashew nuts and animal feed made from the pruned leaves of cashew trees. The objective is to help beneficiaries produce feed for both local and international markets.

It is also to help the communities generate revenue for other socio-economic activities as well as augment government’s effort to improve the livelihoods of citizens, especially those in the rural areas, under the Planting for Food and Jobs and the Rearing for Food and Jobs programmes.

Beneficiaries were drawn from Tintang, Nahgbeli, Palari, Nahgbel and Sang. They were trained in bee-keeping, cashew nursing and planting, and best agronomic practices as well as provided with certified fertiliser for crop production.

The company had earlier empowered over 250 out-growers in the region with the bee-keeping and nursing of cashew seedlings to improve their livelihoods.

The event – organised by Tilaa in partnership with the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MOTI), Ghana Standard Authority (GSA), Department of Agriculture, National Board for Small Scale Industry (NBSSI) and others – served as a platform to create awareness among farmers on the need to take advantage of government flagship programmes.

The District Director of Agriculture, Shani Abukari Aduwa, commended the company for the gesture, saying it will discourage the farmers from engaging in illegal activities after the main farming season.

He also encouraged the beneficiaries to do their best to help sustain the project for a better future.

“Despite these favourable conditions, the bee-keeping industry in the country remains in its infancy. The industry still requires substantial government and private support if it is to achieve its full, lucrative potential,” said the Chief Executive of Tilaa Company Limited, Sadiqe Ibn Abdulai.

Tilaa Company Limited produces honey and cashew by working with local farmers through an integrated plantation system. It currently runs 200 acres of farmland and 50 concrete bee-hives centres in the Northern Region.