The Dachio South Women Farmers Association, a community-based organization in collaboration with the Upper East Regional Directorate of the Department of Agriculture, has trained about 75 farmers from Dachio and Katanga on the rearing of small ruminants.

Each of the beneficiary farmers received a certificate and a nanny to put the training into practice.

At a short ceremony at Dachio in the Bolgatanga East District, Mr Collins Atuah, the Project Coordinator for Dachio South Women Farmers Association, said the Skills Development Fund (SDF), a Non-Governmental Organization, sponsored the training.

He said due to the negative impact of the novel coronavirus pandemic on the farmers, the Regional Director and staff of the Department of Agriculture decided to use their allowances from the training to procure the small ruminants for the farmers and to build two model animal houses in the two communities.

The farmers received training on good animal husbandry practices to reduce mortality, cheap and good feeding practices, best housing methods, disease prevention and control and good record keeping.

Mr Atuah commended the SDF and the regional directorate of the Department of Agriculture for the support.

He said the project would help to improve animal health, increase production and contribute to reducing poverty among the women.

Mr Atuah commended the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) for supporting the vulnerable farmer groups with COVID-19 preventive and hygiene materials to help protect them.

Mr Zimi Alhassan, the Regional Agriculture Extension Officer, said the Dachio South Women Farmers Association and Katanga Asongtaaba Cooperative ventured into livestock production but lacked the necessary extension services to ensure quality.

The Extension Officer noted that the process to acquire the support from the SDF started in 2009 and approval was given in 2018.

He expressed the hope that the training would help mitigate some of the major challenges of livestock production among women.

Mr Alhassan noted that there was a need for the farmers to receive more training to be able to engage in standardized livestock production practices, reduce the mortality rate to increase production and income levels of farmers.

The beneficiary farmers expressed gratitude to SDF, the Department of Agriculture and stakeholders for the training and support, saying it would help to improve their livestock businesses.

Mrs Bernice Ayinpogbila Atanga, the secretary of the Katanga Asongtaaba Cooperative, said although the women were engaged in livestock production, they lacked modern technology that would help improve the health status of the animals.

The beneficiary farmers, therefore, appealed to the Regional Directorate of Agriculture and other relevant stakeholders to continue to assist them to increase production, ensure quality, attract good markets as well as create employment and reduce poverty among the vulnerable women.