Farmers have been advised not to solely rely on external support to undertake agricultural activities, but make conscious efforts to invest their own resources in their ventures.
Dr Mutari Abubakari, Cordinator, Research, Extension, Farming and Engagement Committee at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (CSIR-SARI), who gave the advice, said farmers would conceive farming activities as business and be serious about it when they invested their own resources into it.
He gave the advice while making a presentation at an annual Sustainable Agriculture and Business Forum organised in Tamale by the Changing Lives in Innovative Partnerships (CLIP), a non-governmental organisation, as part of its Empowerment for Life Programme.
The day’s forum, brought together about 50 farmers from five districts including; Karaga, Kumbungu, Mion, Saboba and Savelugu, and was to amongst others expose farmers to interventional opportunities in the agricultural sector to improve their operations.
Topics treated during the forum included; “Financing products and services to promote sustainable agribusiness in Ghana, The future of agriculture in Ghana: Synergy between research and sustainable agriculture development, and Smart livestock farming: Enhancing sustainable development”.
Dr Abubakari also advised farmers to adopt improved seeds to boost their yields and address post-harvest losses to boost their incomes.
He said “Farmers need to adopt improved technologies; that is the way to go. If they rely on their rudimentary recycling of their own seeds, they will not benefit from their business. They should see farming as business and they will be serious about it.”
Mr Abukari Yakubu, Northern Regional Livestock and Poultry Development Officer, advised farmers to take good care of their animals and keep them in well-ventilated and shaded structures to grow well.
Mr Yakubu further advised them to sell their animals mostly during festive seasons to attract good prices for sustainable income.
Mr Luqman Yussif, Programmes Manager of CLIP urged farmers to take advantage of the solutions and issues addressed at the forum to boost productivity and incomes.
Some of the participants lauded the forum, saying lessons learnt would help them to transform their operations to increase their productivity and incomes while ensuring food security.
