Ghana's No1 Agric News Portal
Saturday, January 28, 2023
  • About Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • News
  • Farmers’ Stories
    • Women in Agriculture
    • PWDs in Agriculture
  • Business
    • Finance
    • Agri-Projects
  • Technology
  • Africa/World
  • Agri-Produce
    • Cash Crops
    • Food Crops
    • Livestock
    • Fruits & Vegetables
    • Fish Farming
  • More
    • Features
    • Opinions
    • Press Releases
    • Policies
    • Media
      • Podcast
      • Photos
      • Videos
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Farmers’ Stories
    • Women in Agriculture
    • PWDs in Agriculture
  • Business
    • Finance
    • Agri-Projects
  • Technology
  • Africa/World
  • Agri-Produce
    • Cash Crops
    • Food Crops
    • Livestock
    • Fruits & Vegetables
    • Fish Farming
  • More
    • Features
    • Opinions
    • Press Releases
    • Policies
    • Media
      • Podcast
      • Photos
      • Videos
No Result
View All Result
No Result
View All Result
Home Business Agri-Projects

Food and Agricultural Ministry launches a GH¢2.7m project for Peri-urban farmers

October 15, 2020
in Agri-Projects, Business
0 0
47
Food and Agricultural Ministry launches a GH¢2.7m project for Peri-urban farmers
0
SHARES
57
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) has inaugurated a GH¢2.7 million vegetable packhouse for the sorting and packaging of vegetables to improve hygiene and the shelf life of the produce.

Known as the Improved Irrigation Infrastructure and Vegetable Packhouse, the facility is an important infrastructure in the vegetable value chain.

The packhouse and irrigation system, which was inaugurated for the Michel Camp Irrigation Scheme at Michel Camp, near Tema in the Greater Accra Region, yesterday, will provide linkages among farmers, buyers, high-value markets and transportation services, with the ultimate aim of reducing post-harvest losses.

As part of the packhouse and irrigation scheme, the farmers have been linked to eight production partnership entrepreneurs (PPEs), including A.B. Farm Ventures, Akuafo TV and Investments Limited, Farm Direct and Fruitmasters, who are the offtakers.

The facility, which has been constructed under the Ghana Peri-urban Vegetable Value Chain Project (GPVVCP), comes under the Ghana Commercial Agricultural Project (GCAP), a programme meant to shift agriculture from the subsistence level to commercialised business ventures by improving irrigation facilities with climate-smart techniques, such as the construction of in-field reservoirs, the installation of solar-powered equipment to pump clean water to upland areas for irrigation, among other things.

Peri-urban agriculture refers to agriculture undertaken at places on the fringes of urban areas.

Objective

Inaugurating the project, the Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture in charge of Horticulture, Mr. Kennedy Nyarko, explained that the objective was to improve productivity and access to markets for vegetable farmers in selected peri-urban communities in the country.

He explained that the Michel Camp project was part of the overall GPVVCP, financed by a grant from the Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF), estimated at $2.85 million (equivalent to GH¢16.53 million) and managed by the World Bank through a trust fund arrangement.

“This is directly aligned with the ministry’s flagship interventions — the Planting for Food and Jobs and Planting for Exports and Rural Development programmes,” he said.

To achieve the objectives, he said, some general interventions, including upgrading irrigation facilities, building capacity, ensuring market linkages, providing packhouses and washrooms, among others, were being implemented.

Landmark activity

The Project Coordinator of the GCAP, Mr. Osei Owusu-Agyeman, said what started as a simple and small activity aimed at providing improved access to water for farmers had grown to become a landmark activity, delivering significant intervention.

Among interventions being implemented, he said, were the rehabilitation and modernisation of irrigation infrastructure to provide reliable water all- year round, the use of an efficient energy source by way of the installation of a solar-powered pump and the provision of a vegetable packhouse to help clean and package produce from the farms.

Other mediation efforts included providing washroom facilities to address the hitherto insanitary environment, which is a key element of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the introduction of farmers to new skills sets to enhance productivity and strategies that allowed farmers to compete favourably on domestic and global markets.

The coordinator said as part of the Michel Camp Irrigation Scheme, farmers would be given hands-on training to be able to address challenges relating to pests, agronomy and harvesting.

The farmers would also be introduced to new high-value vegetables, while agricultural extension officers would be trained by the Horticulture Development Unit of the Directorate of Crop Services of the ministry, he said.

Mr. Owusu-Agyeman announced that some of the farmers were undergoing training to be awarded the Global Gap Certification and the Green Label Certificate, while others were being linked to established markets through contracts with appointed vegetable entrepreneurs.

Ownership

The World Bank Task Leader to Ghana, Dr. Sheu Salau, urged the farmers to see the facilities as theirs and manage them well, so that they would be useful to them.

He further reminded the farmers of the key issues of sustainability, which he said were about operations and maintenance.

Source: Graphic News

Please login to join discussion
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
I never used chemical fertilisers but I excelled – 2017 2nd National best farmer

Farming is the most Lucrative job – CEO of Okata Farms

June 6, 2020
Sugarcane farmers seek Gov’t support ahead of Sugar Factory reopening

Sugarcane farmers seek Gov’t support ahead of Sugar Factory reopening

June 12, 2020
The 2021 Livestock, Poultry, and Fisheries (LiPF) training trade show launched.

The 2021 Livestock, Poultry, and Fisheries (LiPF) training trade show launched.

March 6, 2021
2020 National Farmers’ Day Launched

2020 National Farmers’ Day Launched

September 29, 2020
The 2021 Livestock, Poultry, and Fisheries (LiPF) training trade show launched.

The 2021 Livestock, Poultry, and Fisheries (LiPF) training trade show launched.

12637
Resurgence of ‘fall armyworms’ – Farmers warned

Resurgence of ‘fall armyworms’ – Farmers warned

4425
New Agro Intervention Project Launched to Alleviate Poverty – Kintampo

New Agro Intervention Project Launched to Alleviate Poverty – Kintampo

3503
2020 National Farmers’ Day Launched

2020 National Farmers’ Day Launched

2587
Crops Research Institute signs MoU to improve cassava utilization

Crops Research Institute signs MoU to improve cassava utilization

January 18, 2023

GSMA AgriTech Accelerator Programme

January 18, 2023
Nine agribusiness ideas to consider in Africa in 2023

Nine agribusiness ideas to consider in Africa in 2023.

January 16, 2023
Ghana's excessive dependence on Donors for its agric production expenditure is threat.

Ghana’s excessive dependence on Donors for its agric production expenditure is threat.

January 16, 2023
Agri Ghana Online

Agrighanaonline.com is your most authentic agricultural website. We bring you all agricultural news and information from Ghana and across the world.

  • News
  • Farmers’ Stories
  • Business
  • Technology
  • Africa/World
  • Agri-Produce
  • More

© 2020 Agri Ghana Online -Developed By Marvbel Koncepts.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Farmers’ Stories
    • Women in Agriculture
    • PWDs in Agriculture
  • Business
    • Finance
    • Agri-Projects
  • Technology
  • Africa/World
  • Agri-Produce
    • Cash Crops
    • Food Crops
    • Livestock
    • Fruits & Vegetables
    • Fish Farming
  • More
    • Features
    • Opinions
    • Press Releases
    • Policies
    • Media
      • Podcast
      • Photos
      • Videos

© 2020 Agri Ghana Online -Developed By Marvbel Koncepts.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Create New Account!

Fill the forms bellow to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In