Upper West Region, Ghana – Smallholder farmers in the Upper West Region of Ghana have received training in Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) to enhance the quality of their groundnut crops for the local market.
This initiative, aimed at promoting sustainable agriculture and improving livelihoods, is a collaborative effort between the Savannah Agricultural Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR-SARI) and the USAID Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Peanut.
The Ghana Market Systems and Resilience program is also lending its support to this endeavour.
Over 100 members of farmer groups from various districts and municipalities across the region participated in a Farmers' Field Day held in Tanina, Wa West District, to gain insights into these practices.
The event focused on increasing the adoption of adaptation measures, including new technologies and improved agricultural practices.
Dr. George Mahama, a Senior Research Scientist at CSIR-SARI, Wa Station, highlighted the challenges faced by groundnut farmers, including yield losses due to low soil fertility and disease infestations.
He pointed out factors such as the use of low-quality recycled seed, limited pesticide and fungicide application, and improper plant spacing as contributing to these issues.
To address these challenges, Dr. Mahama explained that the project has established multiple learning sites to enhance the agricultural knowledge and skills of smallholder farmers.
These sites emphasize the importance of using certified seeds, pesticides, fungicides, and appropriate nutrient management practices to control pests, and diseases, and improve groundnut production.
Dr. Richard Oteng-Frimpong, a Plant Breeder at CSIR-SARI, Nyamkpala Station, emphasized the need for clean fields to prevent groundnuts from competing with weeds for soil nutrients. He also recommended the use of improved and disease-resistant groundnut varieties for disease control.
Farmers who participated in the Farmers' Field Day expressed their enthusiasm for the new technologies and techniques they learned. These practices include climate-smart and sustainable agricultural methods, disease-resistant groundnut varieties, quality seed usage, optimal plant spacing, and effective weed and nutrient management.
Mr. Martin Bondiyiri, a Seed Grower from Nadowli, shared his newfound knowledge about identifying and managing major groundnut diseases, particularly leaf spot disease.
He noted that many farmers mistakenly interpreted this disease as an indicator of groundnut maturity.
Reporting by Philip Tengzu. Editing by Mariam Aminu.
