CEAL Ghana Brightening the future of small holders farmers in Northern Ghana
Organic Tiger Nuts Production Project in northern Ghana
The project assesses and identify potential organic tiger nuts production areas in the northern Ghana. finding out whether the farmers in particular location could become a reliable source of certified organic tiger nuts for processing in Ghana and also export.
Agro-forestry and livelihood development project in the Bole district
Gbenfu, Lanpoga, and Manful within the Black Volta River Basin in the Bole Bamboi Areas. The area has very fragile ecology, the climate of the area is relatively dry, with a single rainy season that begins in May and ends in October. The main vegetation is of grassland, interspersed with the guinea savannah woodland, and turn to be much thicker in the southern part with numerous streams and wildlife making the area one of the most important forest and wildlife sanctuary for Ghana.
Every year large proportion of forest cover is lost through unsustainable agricultural practices in the Bole-Bamboi area. The current unsustainable farming practices such as slash/burn adopted by farmers in the area resulted in land and forest degradation in the area. The situation is made worse by climate change variability leading to poor crop yields, food insecurity and low income among farmers in the area.
The development objective of the project is to increase crop yields, through climate smart agriculture and sustainable land management technology promotion. In addition, the project seeks to address deforestation, protect plant and animal life, through natural forest conversation, natural regeneration, and enrichment planting.
Project Achievements
- 90 local farmers’ capacity built for sustainable agricultural development and supported to practice climate smart agriculture within the Black Volta River basin to limit the effects of climate change, land degradation and erosion.
- 90 local farmers’ capacity built for sustainable forest resource development and biodiversity conservation through natural regeneration, enrichment planting and agro-forestry activities.
- 110 local farmers have been trained and supported with alternative livelihood support [livestock production] as means of reducing local people’s over-dependence on the natural vegetation and also generate enough animal droppings to support ecological crop farming.
Farmer Training in Conservation agriculture in West Mamprusi District
The Programme supports vulnerable Household(HH) to become food secure through training and support practices of organic farming measures specially among communities in the eastern part of West Mamprusi District where due to population increase, poor farming practices coupled with climate change variabilities have resulted in the total depletion of soil fertility. Training and support in Organic farming techniques include compost building and its application; soil and water conservation measures-stone bonding, crop residues management, earth bonding, mulching, crop residues piling, grass stripping, galley control, drip irrigation systems. Others include plant protection measures such as the use of neem, pepper and other herbal combinations. Harvest and post-harvest loss management training and support becomes essential part of the scheme. these will enable the farmers to cultivate household staple food crops aimed at providing maximum food and nutrition security.
Farmers training for Dry season vegetable production
Currently CEAL is building the capacity of 200 vegetable farmers in vegetable production protocols to enable them increase their yields and incomes. The training is being supported by Eco projects Company limited, a private company dealing with agro-inputs and marketing of organic food stuff. Under this project, farmers are trained in vegetable variety nursery activities, seedlings transplanting, soil nutrition improvement technologies, plant protection measures, harvesting and post-harvest loss management relating to vegetable production
