A five-day international training progrmme for stakeholders in the Agricultural sector to “Promote Agriculture Technology to Improve Productivity and Net Returns for Smallholder Farmers” has opened in Accra.
The training was to improve participant’s knowledge and understanding of technologies in the areas of climate-smart agriculture, nutrition and water management, information management and precision agriculture among other technologies.
It was also to familiarise the participants with the farm-level impact of each of these technologies on crop production under changing climatic conditions and provide an opportunity for participants from many countries and backgrounds to discuss the practicality and economics of integrating these innovations into the mainstream of major crops.
Mr Osei Akoto, the Acting Director Crops Services, Ministry of Food and Agriculture, speaking at the training said Government has developed a lot of technologies to promote smallholder farming.
He said the Ministry considers climate-smart agriculture as an approach to increasing crop production.
The Acting Director said government has put in place appropriate policies and strategies to support stakeholders in handling climate change.
“One key measure to boost agriculture is to encourage the youth to develop interest in the sector and also introduce appropriate technologies,” he added.
He said information Communication Technology could propel agriculture as an interesting venture to sustain the youth of the country.
Mr Akoto said the Ministry of Agriculture has introduced an online platform to attract the unemployed graduates into the sector to contribute to the economy.
He commended the International Fertilizer Development Centre, (IFDC) organisers of the training for its support in increasing agriculture production in the country.
He urged the participants to pay attention, since it would develop their unique skills in identifying appropriate technology for the sector.
Mr Rob Groot, the Division Director, IFDC said the focus of the Centre was on good agricultural practices and technologies, input sector development for fertilizer, seed and market information and intelligence.
He said the Centre also supports fertilizer policy in terms of subsidy, agricultural development and value chain and fertilizer research and technology.
Dr Sampson Agyin-Birikorang, Senior Scientist-Systems Agronomist, IFDC said some of the challenges facing farmers were dwindling agriculture lands, climate change and aging agricultural population.
He said the way forward for the sector was for farmers to use efficient and improved production technologies and farmers also needed to adopt the Smart-climate agriculture.
Participants from Ghana, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Lesotho, Uganda, Kenya and Mozambique would discuss crop production under climate change condition, soil fertility management technologies, water management for sustainable production and cross-cutting innovative technology.
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(Via: NewsGhana)
