The GCF is an Accra-based NGO with the aim of providing technical and financial support to farmers to improve their standard and quality of living. The theme for the programme was “farming the green gold.” The beneficiaries, who are members of the Chamber, were taken through skills enhancement and other capacity building programmes in farming.

Mr. Bernard Bediako-Nayo, Director of the programme, said that realising that most people, especially the youth show low interest in farming after school, the Chamber decided to intervene by empowering the youth with the necessary technical skills.

“Job opportunities are scarce in the country and after University; students do not take advantage of the vast fertile land available in the country so as to be entrepreneurs. “Most people want to be in an air conditioned offices after school but forget there is a ‘green gold’ somewhere else and not in the office,” he said.

He said last year, some selected farmers benefited from chili seeds accessibility project and currently some have been given loans to be repaid in three months.Mr. Emmanuel Martey, the Marketing Manager of the organisation, citing himself as an example, said he had no interest in farming until things got worse with his business, resulting in him venturing into farming for which he has no regrets.

Some beneficiaries expressed gratitude to the chamber for organizing the programme for them free of charge. “We have learnt a lot today. We thought we were doing the right things as farmers but this training has really helped shaped us. We also thank the organisers for their technical and financial supports,” Jackson Fullah, a farmer said.

The farmers also mentioned absence of farm tractors and availability of agro products as some of the challenges they faced as rural farmers and grateful for the organisation for seeking to address some of the challenges this year.

Since its establishment, the chamber has registered over 1,000 farmers across the country.