We want more partnerships in agriculture - Ayikoi Otoo

Ghana’s High Commissioner to Canada, Ayikoi Otoo on Thursday urged for more partnerships between Ghana and Canada in agriculture to ensure development.

Mr Otoo said as the government looks to implement the policy of ‘Ghana beyond aid’, “we hope that collaboration should be around construction of dams for smallholder farmers, improved seeds, tractor and implement for land preparation.”

Otoo made the remarks at the official closing of the 'Food Security Through Co-operatives in Northern Ghana' (FOSTERING), a five-year project to help smallholder farmers improve on their lives.

FOSTERING for sustainable Food security

The 'FOSTERING' project was a CAD $8 million project funded by the government of Canada and the Co-operative Development Foundation of Canada (CDF), a Canadian based charity that helps smallholder farmers in developing countries.

The project helped farmers in eight districts along the Eastern Corridor of Northern Ghana to form and manage their own agricultural cooperative enterprises. It also increased sustainable, gender equitable food security for over 50,000 farmers, their families and communities.

The Deputy Director responsible for Ghana bilateral development at Global Affairs Canada, Carmela Prinzo said the project exceeded its target.

“Farmers’ incomes are now 50 per cent more stable after diversifying their crops and most of them now have access to microfinance,” She said.

“Women have increased their annual income tenfold and almost all the farmers are now able to feed their families,” Prinzo added.

Ayikoi Otoo commended the Canadian government and other partners for their support. He believes the skills the farmers have learnt would go a long way to help them improve their communities. Otoo said government will do its part so that “the farmers can sustain what they have benefitted from the project instead of a reversal.”

The Executive Director of CDF Canada, Benoit Andre said the success of the project which started in 2013 and ended in February this year shows that food security can be achieved and sustained when the capacity of smallholder farmers is built.

“FOSTERING put small-holder farmers in the driving seat as they adopted and adapted time-tested co-operative tools to achieve food security, prosperity and the resilience to build a better future for themselves and their communities,” Andre said.

The eight districts that benefitted form the project are East Gonja, Kpandai, Nanumba South, Nanumba North, Krachi-Nchumuru, Zabzugu, Tatale-Sanguli, and Chereponi.