One hundred-and-eighty (180) selected agro-based groups in the Ashanti and Volta Regions have undergone training in “regenerative farming”, an integrated farming system, that seeks to provide the rural population with improved and sustainable income.
They included livestock and vegetable farmers, agricultural students, seed and plant breeders.
They were taught how to use spent mushroom bags and animal droppings as compost for vegetable farming and feeding of rabbits and other animals on the farm on vegetable leftovers.Mr. Samuel Owusu-Takyi, an agricultural researcher at the Kumasi Institute of Tropical Agriculture (KITA), said the goal was to susbstantially boost productivity and returns to the farmer.
He indicated that “regenerative farming” had emerged as vital tool for assuring farmers’ of all-year round income.The other high point, he noted, was that it would help to also enhance biodiversity.Mr. Owusu-Takyi announced that the training programme, would last for three years and was being jointly funded by Modular Organic Regenerative Environment (MORE) Institute and Perpetual Prosperity Pumps Foundation – all based in the United States (US).
The Food and Agriculture Ministry (MOFA) and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) are providing technical support.He hinted that 1,000 farm stations would be established nationwide for the purpose.The beneficiaries in addition to the supply of inputs including tree seedlings, mushroom bags, pens, feeding and drinking troughs, rabbits, poultry birds, wellington boots and bicycles would also be exposed to financial management, he added.