The one-day training was aimed at increasing the cultivation of the root crop to boost production for local consumption and export.

The event was organised by Ecoland Ghana, an international non-governmental organisation from Germany and the University College of Agriculture and Environmental Studies (UCAES) at Bunso in the Eastern Region.

As part of the training, high-yielding disease-free ginger seedlings have been cultivated on a demonstration farm on the premises of the university.

The project is code-named Ecoland Ghana Organic Agriculture Demonstration and Research Field in partnership with UCAES.

Addressing the participating farmers at Bunso, the President of Ecoland International, Rudolf Buhler, said the application of the organic method would not place any financial burden on the farmers, since no fertiliser had to be purchased to grow the crop.

He said all that the farmer needed was animal droppings, particularly cow-dung, stressing that organic application was not harmful to human beings, since no chemicals would be applied.

He said the initiative was being executed through the partner Africa project within the framework of special training and job creation and financed by the German Government.

Diploma

He added that a diploma programme in organic agriculture on ginger cultivation would soon be introduced at the university.

Through that, he said, research would be conducted and training in organic cultivation of the root crop offered.

Two farmer co-operative groups, he indicated, would also be formed, which would involve many farmers who would follow organic farming and also introduce new cash crops.

Mr Buhler said the project had given the organic farmers the skills and exposure in the project within the Asuboni Rail, Bunso, Nsutam, Suhum, Kyebi, Tafo and other nearby communities.

Acting Rector

The Acting Rector of UCAES, Dr Charles Brempong Yeboah, in an interview with the Daily Graphic, said in Ghana not many universities taught organic farming and that UCAES was happy to be assisted by Ecoland to go into that area of farming.

He indicated that the university, which had already initiated organic farming training, had many farmers within its catchment area benefiting from it.

A representative of Ecoland International Ghana, Dr Isaac Adodoadji, called on policy makers to actively play their roles and lead the organic farming drive.

He said although organic farming was not coming on a "silver platter" to meet all the food and feeding needs of Ghana, it presented a very important complement which could be done without the use of chemicals.

No chemical use

A representative from the University of Cape Coast, Mary Coleman, for her part, urged organic farmers in the area to avoid the use of chemical fertilisers, insecticides and pesticides in the cultivation of their root crops.

She said those chemical products were responsible for acidic rains which affect the crops, and, therefore, led to food insecurity on a long term basis.

One of the farmers, Zulaiha Jummai Alhassan, who said she had been growing ginger for close to five years, told the Daily Graphic that she had been using chemicals in her cultivation of the root crop but had realised that although the yield was good, it was harmful for human consumption.