Stakeholders in the agriculture space say they have observed that farmers who have not received training from experts are usually not able to ensure the highest level of productivity, despite the efforts they put into their work.

In a bid to bridge this gap, the SNV GREEN Project has collaborated with Kwadaso Agriculture College to take over 200 farmers through training to equip them with the requisite skills in various agriculture-based areas.

The farmers were taken through various modules in agriculture, and in addition to this, they received certification.

“Most of them are farmers or entrepreneurs, and they needed some theoretical background in what they are doing. They also needed some innovative ways of doing things. So, it was both theory and practicals. They spent some time in the classrooms and most of the time in the field. They went through observations and practical activities in various agric ventures.

“Most of our farmers, as you know, do not have the theoretical background or the scientific background of most of the things that they do, especially when it comes to the effects of their actions. So, they have gone through some of these things. They also went through financial literacy. They have usually been going by the hand-to-mouth approach. Some of them, when they get enough produce and there is no market, they don’t know what to do. So, through the training, they have learned how to process some of these produce to maximize profit from them,” said Awudu Dramani Musah, the senior skills advisor for the SNV GREEN Project.

For the principal of Kwadaso Agriculture College, Albert Appiah Amoako, whose institution played a critical role in equipping the farmers, he stressed the need for agriculture to be seen as a business.

“I am looking at the professional way of doing agriculture, not as a culture, but to make sure that when they are trained in agriculture, they put their records and necessary technology that will make it profitable. That is what I mean by making agriculture a business, but not a way of living. Currently, the young agriculturists that we are training have that capacity and that knowledge to make sure that whatever they are learning is the professional way of doing all the agricultural practices in whatever field they find themselves.”

With the current agriculture extension officer rate in the country being one officer to one thousand five hundred farmers, the municipal director of Ejisu, Dr. David Anambam, for instance, believes it is very crucial for farmers to be equipped since it is usually difficult to have access to officers.

“The extension officer is crucial for the farmer to do better. We have problems like climate change’s impact on farming, using the right technology, and transferring technology, among others. Farmers have been engaging in their activities for years, but the extension officer is there to help farmers improve and employ modern farming practices. There are some places where the ratio is even 1 to 2,500. That means the officer is so scarce. So, with trainings like this, it will help the farmer get a lot and apply the theories, and that will improve the welfare of the farmer and improve the income of the farmer.”