Cereal production is undoubtedly an essential element in increasing the breadbasket of a country most especially, an emerging economy such as Ghana. To this end, there have been several calls for a special focus on increasing the capacity of small holder farmers, as well as peasant farmers as a means of boosting food security.
This growing need has been reiterated at a training session organised under the auspices of the Agricultural Manufacturing Group (AMG) in the Upper East Regional capital, Bolgatanga, for 150 farmers and extension officers to enlighten them on the importance of using quality fertilisers for higher yields.
High quality fertilisers
The Bolgatanga Municipal Director of Agriculture, Mr Apinya Dominic, emphasised the importance for farmers to invest in high quality fertiliser for more yield and commended AMG for the training.
The farmers were taken through the use of NPK 25-10-10 by representatives of AMG during which they stressed the need for cereal farmers to apply fertilisers which had higher nitrogen content.
The Sales and Marketing Manager of the AMG, Ms Dorothy Opoku, stated that “cereal production over the world has seen significant improvement in yield per unit area. In most of these countries, the secrets to crop production have been unravelled to as many farmers as possible.”
According to her, systems were in place to ensure that the processes that lead to the production of cereal and crop were followed with rigour so that high yields would be attained using the same piece of land over and over again with consistently the same high yields.
She indicated that in Ghana, the two tonnes per hectare achieved by most farmers needed to be improved upon to attain food security.
Improved agricultural tech
To pursue the fastest and most practical route to improve yields, the near term strategy AMG has adopted is the application and extension of improved agricultural technologies to some selected farmers across the three northern regions.
Ms Opoku added that AMG would focus on the provision of technological, as well as financial support to 100 peasant farmers to bring their yields to a minimum of six tons per hectare and would seek to sustain and expand the programme to cover at least 300 farmers over a three-year period.
Ensuring a sustainable food production to feed Ghana’s ever increasing population, she said, was one of the main tasks for the time being and AMG as a crop nutrition company would spearhead the agenda through the introduction of its premium NPK 25-10-10 fertiliser under the government fertiliser subsidy programme.
About AMG
The Agricultural Manufacturing Group – AMG combines the importation of fertilisers from all over the world with local sourcing.
It specialises in the distribution of agrochemicals and farm tools across the country to ensure that farmers everywhere have access to fertilisers and agrochemicals at their farm gates.
Source: graphic.com.gh
