Agric Officers Trained on Frafra Potato Production -UE/R

Seedlings of Frafra Potato on the field ready to be translated

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Savannah Agricultural Research Institute (CSIR-SARI) partnered with Africa Climate Change Adaptation Initiative (ACCAI) of the University of Ghana, to disseminate research findings and a climate smart agriculture innovation for large scale Frafra Potato production to farmers in a training workshop, organized in Manga Station of CSIR-SARI. 

The two-day training workshop dubbed “Dissemination of Proven Technologies for Large-scale Production of Frafra potato in the Upper East Region” brought together about (40) Agricultural Extension Agents (AEAs), from the fifteen (15) Municipalities and District Assemblies in the Upper East Region. 

The two-day training workshop was organized with funds received by ACCAI network from the Open Society Foundation in 2015.  

The network which is coordinated by Prof. Yaa Ntiamoa-Baidu, Centre for African Wetlands, University of Ghana, Legon is made up of five universities [University of Ghana, Mekelle University (Ethiopia) and University of Dar-es-Salaam (Tanzania) and University of the Witwatersrand, Stellenbosch University (South Africa)] conducting research under five thematic areas - Reigniting interest in Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) for food security in Africa, Urban-rural food system dynamics in the face of climate change, Soil fertility management and farming systems, Nutrition and technology for food systems in Africa and Climate change resource conflict and food systems. 

Group photograh of the Agriculture Extension Officers at the workshop at Manga

The aim of the workshop was to train the AEAs to further disseminate the innovation and proven technologies for large scale production of Frafra Potato to farmers across the Upper East Region. 

The new technology which is a cutting propagation method (a climate smart adaptation strategy), would allow for the rapid establishment and expansion of Frafra potato fields across the region. 

In 2017, the Manga Station of CSIR-SARI developed five newly improved Frafra potato varieties which were approved and released by National Seed Council as (UE021- WAAPP Piesa 1 ‘WAAPP Frafra potato’; UE023- Manga-Moya ‘Well done Manga station’; UW020- Maa-Lana ‘I can’t believe how far I have made it’; UW022- Naachem-Tiir ‘Hope for the youth’; ACC01022- Nutsugah Piesa ‘Nutsugah’s Frafra potato’). 

With the released varieties, farmers can reap maximum output with little input. 

Speaking to Radio Ghana, Dr. Francis Kusi, a Host plant Resistant Entomologist and Senior Research Scientist at the Manga Research Station indicated that, the five varieties are the first Frafra potato varieties to be released in Africa. 

Taking the Agriculture Extension Agents through the economic analysis of the crop, Dr. Kusi stressed that farmers in the Upper East and West Regions of Ghana can really make a good fortune out of the cultivation of the crop. 

Dr. Naalamle Amissah a Horticulturist and Senior Lecturer in the Department of Crop Science, University of Ghana, presented research carried out by the University of Ghana under the ACCAI “Reigniting interest in Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) for food security in Africa” thematic area, which she leads.

 Dr. Amissah emphasized the need for nutritious food in achieving food security and spoke about the role of underutilized crop species in attaining food and nutrition security in Ghana and their ability to support Sustainable Development Goals 1,2, 3, 8 and 15. 

The research carried out by CSIR-SARI and ACCAI-UG addressed the importance of adding value to Frafra potato and creating awareness about its high iron content. 

She stated that, Frafra Potato has the added advantage of tolerating drought conditions and thriving on marginal soils, one of the key problems confronting farmers in Northern Ghana. 

Dr. Amissah also spoke about the importance of crop species diversity and the need for other indigenous crops with potential for achieving food security to be researched into. 

Fulbright Scholar to Ghana and Assistant Professor Dr. Denita Hadziabdic Guerry of the University of Tennessee, a Population Genetics expert talked about her collaboration with Drs Amissah and Kusi  saqying, her research under the Fulbright Scholar Programme will assess the genetic diversity and spatial structure of the Frafra potato across different geographical regions and identify the best varieties to be used in future breeding projects. 

The workshop was very interactive with the AEA’s sharing farmers’ experiences on Frafra Potato cultivation in their respective Districts. The AEA’s commended the organizers for the hands-on nature of the workshop and promised to share the technologies learned with farmers.

Durbar of Chief and People of Tongo-Beo Organized By World Vision

A durbar of Chief and people of Tongo-Beo has been organized by World Vision International Ghana, WVI, to herald back the initiator of the Farmer Managed Natural Regenerated FMNR Mr. Tonny Rinaudo and the success chalked by WVI GH at “The Beating Famine Conference 2019 held in Bamako, Mali where WVI Ghana pulled four Awards. 

FMNR is a low cost land restoration technique that combats poverty and hunger among subsistence farmers by increasing food, timber production and resilience to climate extremes. 

The technique involves the organized regrowth and management of trees, and shrubs from felled trees stumps, sprouting root systems or seeds.  

It was initiated by Tony Rinaudo and piloted in the Talensi Area Development Project in four communities including Yameriga, Tongo-Beo, Wakiii and Yinduri, with funding from the Australian Government after the success of both phase one and two. 

World Vision International Ghana WVI GH is a Christian Relief Development and advocacy organization dedicated to working with children, families and other communities worldwide to reach their full potentials, by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. 

To achieve this, WV established the FMMR Project in 2009, to work together with the communities to fight against environmental degradation and to build resilience among the people. 

Speaking to Radio Ghana, the Regional Operations Manager Timothy Akanpabadai stated that in a retrospective look that, in times past, there were trickster rules and regulations regarding the environment by authorities and custodians of the land such as chiefs and Tindanas. 

He further indicated that, there were certain woodlot, shrines and forest that were forbidden for just a branch to cut thoughtless felling a tree or burning the bush. Mr. Akanpabadai added by that, our forbears were able to bequeath to this generations a beautiful environment. 

But due to indiscipline and lawlessness, the vegetative cover of the environment has vanished and the rippling effects are the scotching sun and the erratic rainfall which results in food insecurity. 

He texpressed World Vision’s resolve to continue until the whole northern sector and for that matter Ghana as a whole is regreened. 

The Chief of Tongo-beo Naba Bilia Namalten, the Excellence in Land Restoration, male Individual restoration Champion Award Winner stated that, the year of his enskinment, followed the piloting of FMNR and he embraced it as the panacea to the restoration of the environment in his traditional Area. 

Naba Namalten appeal to WV to replicate same in some other communities. The other three were; Land Restoration Award Winner, Individual female category went to Saparkroug Cecilia Topok Excellence in land Restoration innovative Award Yameriga community, World Vision International Ghana took the Excellence in land Restoration, NGO Restoration Supporter Award.

UE/R Biennial NUGDPA Congress currently underway in Narongo

Dignitaries at the high table in the congress at Navrongo

The clergy has been called upon, to pay attention to the challenges facing the Laity today in living out their God-Given vocation of family life; the delicate role of the pastor in providing the necessary pastoral care.

Group photogragp of some dignitaries  at the congress, UDS Campus Navrongo

The call was made during the opening ceremony of the 27^th National and 15^th Biennial National Union of Ghanaian Diocesan Priest’s Association NUGDPA Congress, currently under in Navrongo at University for Development Studies UDS Campus. 

The theme for the congress is “Challenges of in the Catholic Marriages; the role of the Priest” The Navrongo-Bolgatanga Diocese, the host was founded by the Society of the Missionaries of Africa, the White Fathers in 1906, having entered the then Gold Coast from the Upper Volta now Burkina Faso. 

The mission became an Apostolic Prefecture in 1926 and was later raised to the status of an Apostolic Vicaeiate in 1934. 

The Navrongo Diocese was established in 1956, until 1977 when it was renamed, the Diocese of Navrongo-Bolgatanga following the transfer of the Episcopal See from Navrongo to Bolgatanga, the capital of the Upper East Regional. 

Rt. Rev. Alfred Adjenta Bishop of Navrongo-Bolgatanga Diocese addressing the Biennial Congress at UDS 

In his address, Bishop of the Navrongo-Bolgatanga Diocese Rt. Rev. Alfred Adjenta indicated that, the church feels the joys and hope, grief and anguish of the masses within and beyond the region. 

The Navrongo-Bolgatanga Diocese he said cannot alienate itself from the situation of the very people the church is called to server. 

Bishop Adjenta stated that, the social dimension of the Gospel emphasized by Pope Francis shows the deep correlation between evangelization and human advancement. 

Very Rev, Fr. Augustine Abasi Chaplincy of UDS on his keynote address at the Congress

In a keynote address delivered by Very Reverent Father Augustine Abasi, the Chaplin of UDS on the theme, “The Challenges of the Catholic Marriages; the role of the Priest, stressed that, the catholic marriage in its uniqueness has a peculiar challenges emanating from its own understanding and living out its own uniqueness. 

Father Abasi stated that there are internal and external challenges specific to age, background, cultural experiences, and religious context and maturity of those players involved and the environment contribute significantly to the challenges. 

Very Rev. Fr. Francis Appiah Kubi President of UNGDPA

The President of NUGDPA Rev. Father Francis Appiah Kubi in his address said it has been observed that, adult Christian, traditionally married do not have access to the sacraments; they can neither take communion nor fully participates in the life ecclesial community because they are considered ‘public sinners’. 

As a result, those young people he indicated that, become accustomed to life without Sacrament and consequently, the church becomes alien to them.

Upper East Regional Minister Ms Paulina Abayage in her address at the Congress

The Upper East Regional Ms Paulina Abayage a guest to the occasion indicated that, if society is to remain the haven of peace and harmony that Ghana desires, there is the need to strengthen institutions and structures that has the capacity to mould families Oasis of love, unity and fraternity.

She therefore urged the Cleagy to remain committed to working for the sanctity of marriages as the foundation of life and humility.

A Cross secrion of some Priests at the Congress at UDS IN Navrongo

The opening ceremony of the 27th National and 15th Biennial National Union of Ghanaian Diocesan Priest’s Association NUGDPA Congress brought together about 500 priests and thier Bishops, chiefs, Ministers of State, MMDCEs, the Muslim community among other functionaries.

UE/ Regional Minister Paid Last Courtesy Calls on Paramouncies-KNWD

 Paga Pio's Palace

The Upper Easst Regional Minister Ms Paulina Abayage has paid her last courtesy call on two paramount Chiefs in the Kassean Nankana West Districts. 

Her first point of call was at the Paga Pio’s Palace to pay homage, ask for support as she embarks on her development agenda in the Region.

Paga Pe Charles Awiah Awampaga III  in the middle Paramount Chief of the KNWD

The paga Chief, Pe Charles Awiah Awampaga III, was grateful for the visit and her appointment by the President Nana Addo saying, since the days of Independence, no woman has ever been elevated to the level of a Regional Minister. 

Divisional and Subdivisonal Chiefs at the Paga pio Palace

Pe Awiah III advised her to stand up to the task and be assured of the total support of his traditional area in her development drive.

Upper East Region Minister Ms Paulina Abayage speaking at the Paga Pio's Palace

On her part, the Regional Minister stated that, as the daughter of land coming home mainly for development, she will stop at nothing to ensure that, the fair share of the region and for that matter the Paga traditional area is brought home. 

Ms Abayage indicated that, Nana Addo has rolled out a lot social interventions that will be inure to benefit of the region because of her potentials. 

She mentioned that ten Dams are to be constructed in the KNWD on the back of One Village One-Dam policy, to increase irrigation farming, rearing for Food and Jobs soon to be rolled out, One-District One Factory and the fertilizer subsidy under Planting for Food and Jobs has boosted the production of cereals for export among others. 

Mirogu Paramount Chief Naba Anthony Abisah Atosige Anonsona in the middle

The Minister story was different at the Mirogu Chief’s Palace. The Paramount Chief of Mirogu, Naba Anthony Abisa Atosige Anonsona III was happy of Minister’s visit adding that, women are always meticulous in handling issues and was hopeful that Ms Abayage was not going to let Mirogu down.

Mirogu Chief and his sub-chiefs at his Palace

 Naba Anonsona III indicated that, the mirages of problems confronting his traditional area were the Mirogu Senior High which lacked classrooms, dormitories, teacher’s accommodation and means of transport to make it a boarding school. 

He emphasized that, of the Nabango School is also in deplorable state. He added that, the road network in his traditional area is nothing to write home about especially, the main one linking Mirogu to Navrongo and appealed to the Minister to come their aid.

Arigu Celebrate, Annual Tingana Festival -West Mamprusi

Arigurana Naa Timaritaba K Anzoni IV.

The Chief and People of the Arigu community in the West Mamprusi District of the Northern Region  has celebrated  their annual   “Tingana Festival” amidst drumming and dancing and the  outdooring of the chief of the area,  Arigurana Naa Timaritaba K Anzoni IV. 

A  Cross section of the youth singing group in Arigu

The Tingana festival is celebrated to mark the harvest of the staple food crop, and to give thanks to God almighty for his blessings, the festival is also meant to thank the gods of the land and ancestors for the protection and guidance of the inhabitants throughout the year. 

These are Sub and Divisional Chiefs sitting down as part of the outdooring celemony 

It is a tradition that is held biennially to afford the chief of Arigu community to be   outdoored during the festival to address his people and the general public on the community’s development status and plans and to wish the people well as the year comes to an end. 

In an address delivered on his behalf during the festival Naa Anzoni IV, admonished the citizens in the area to be weary of evil days that create misunderstandings between families, neighbors and fractions within communities and called on the people of the community to remain united in order to foster development of the individual and the community at large. 

The Chief expressed gratitude to the Municipal Director of Education for posting teachers to augment the teacher deficit in the community. 

He however indicated that, the teacher- pupil ratio in the schools are still not the best and wish that more teachers were posted to the community. 

Naa Anzoni IV appeal to the government to provide classroom blocks accommodate pupils still sitting under trees in his traditional area. 

He urged parents to desist from pushing their girl-child into early marriages, school drop outs and to kayaye but to ensure their wards are retained to complete school. 

Whilst  commending  the community members for their personnel contribution in purchasing furniture and other essential equipment  for the operations of the CHIP compounds, the chief also lauded the efforts of  the Municipal Health Director and staff, the Municipal Chief Executive and the Assembly for their immense contributions in enhancing health delivery in the  Arigu community. 

Touching on Agriculture the Naa Anzoni   indicated that, the people of Arigu and Bisigu are farmers and have a vast and fertile land for both commercial and subsistence farming of various food crops, sheatrees for sheanuts oil extraction and fishing long the White Volta. 

He stated that the community benefited from the fertilizer subsidy under the government flagship program of Planting for Food and Jobs in 2017, 2018 farming season and has paid all their loans. 

He called on the government through the Municipal Director of Agriculture to remember the community in implementing agriculture interventions. 

Naa Anzoni entreated landlords to construct toilet facilities in their homes to help prevent open defecation. 

He therefore called on all citizens in the community and for that matter West Mamprugu to vote yes in the upcoming referendum on the 27^th December 2018, for the creation of the North East Region.

Durbar of Chiefs, Tindanas and Projects Partners of FMNR Held in Talensi

Globally, forest and trees contribute significantly to the very survival of people and the planet.

Literature also has that forest and trees further create the necessary environment for clean air and water as well as conserving biodiversity and responding to climate change. 

Additionally, it is also on records that   Forest acts as sources of food, medicine and fuel for more than a billion people in the world. 

Speaking to the Radio Ghana at   durbar of chiefs held at  the Tongo community   in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region involving  Tindanas( custodians of the land)   and Partners of the Talensi Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration FMNR known as “Tintuug Legbe Tiig” in the local parlance. 

The Project Manager Samuel Abasiba explained that The Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration FMNR is a World Vision International land restoration technique.  

He explained further that the concept  is a low cost land restoration technique that combats poverty and hunger among subsisting farmers by increasing food, timber reproduction and resilience to climate extremes.  

It involves organized re-growth and management of trees and shrubs from felled tree stumps, and sprouting root systems.  

He pointed out that the aim of the project is to improve house hold food security and resilience among the people in the district, through improvement of the environmental conditions using the FMNR concept. 

Mr  Abasiba indicated that, the project has, introduced a number of sound environmental management and Good Agricultural Practices (GAPS), based on available local knowledge and local context to address environmental management issues constraining on-farm food production and post-harvest loses. 

He stated that, the project delivery approach has nurtured the participation of all key stakeholders, community leaders, farmers in the Talensi Distirct and its relevant agencies such as schools, religious bodies, Non-Governmental Organizations NGOs and Community Based Organizations CBOs to constantly review strategies for FMNR, scaling up and adaption to local context. 

On the uptake of FMNR, Abasiba stated that, the project has trained  about One thousand 200 lead farmers in 57 communities on the FMNR technique, who has adopted the practice and have restored seven hundred and 50 hectares of degraded lands and a further One thousand 500 hectares of FMNR on farmlands. 

He said their intervention has help reduce bush fires, increase soil fertility, crops and livestock production, Beekeeping, access to credit value chain development advocacy against expensive funeral. 

The challenges he stressed, still remains bush fires, felling of trees, surface mining and expensive funerals and festivals.

UE/R Workshop on Agriculture Technology Transfer ATT Project Ends-

A Cross Section of participants at the ATT IFDC workshop in Bolgatanga 

Statistics has shown that only 10 percent of farmers in the Upper East, Upper West and Northern Regions of Ghana used certified seed for farming. The remaining 90 percent still rely on the indigenous seed for crop production. Ghana’s Agriculture will not thrive and compete favorably in food production if farmers continue to rely on unimproved seeds for farming. 

Seed is considered key and a basic technology for crop productivity. There is therefore the need to look at ways of increasing technologies that can help bring about improved and sustainable crop production in the Northern sector and for that matter Ghana as a whole. 

It is this in line with this that, the International Fertilizer Development Center, IFDC, implementers of Agriculture Technology Transfer, ATT, has organized a day’s workshop to herald the end of the organization's four year program dubbed ‘‘An End-of-Project Learning Event’'. 

The Project, Agriculture Technology Transfer ATT was established in 2014, in the Northern Regional capital, Tamale, with funding from the USAID and Feed the Future FTF, a US Government’s Global hunger and food security Initiative. 

The project focuses on Agriculture Transformation in the three regions of the north. 

The project which had a five year mandate ends in 31st December, 2018. 

ATT was implemented through The International Fertilizer Development Center, IFDC, a science-based public international organization, working to alleviate global hunger by introducing improved agricultural practices and fertilizer technologies to farmers and linking farmers to markets.

The organization has projects in over 25 countries. 

The workshop brought together researchers, Directors of Agriculture, Representatives of farmer groups, Seed Growers and Processers, Agriculture related Non-Governmental Organizations among others. 

The aim of the workshop was to bring partners together to deliberate on the gains chalked and the legacy to be left behind and how to sustain those legacies, think through, document some of the legacies and find a way of making recommendations to donor agencies, the way forward, the kind of activities they need to put their resources into and the best approaches they need to adopt to get the needed results at the end of the project.

Chief of Party, ATT Project of IFDC, Musah Salifu Taylor in an interview at the workshop

Speaking to Radio Ghana, the Chief of Party, ATT Project of IFDC, Musah Salifu Taylor, indicated that, ATT has been impacting modern Technologies to farmers by way of interventions in the areas of early maturing varieties, good agronomic practices, mechanization, an integrated soil fertility management approach, soil testing and analysis, test kits for farmers to determine soil nutriments level among others. 

Mr. Salifu stated further that since the rainfall parttern is not the best in the Northern parts of the country, all these factors must be considered before a farmer can boast of high productivity.

He said for instance the Obatanpa variety of maize which is 25 years cannot give maximum yield as compared to Sansasema and Wandata which are early fast growing and early maturing, with higher yields. 

Mr. Salifu Stated that, ATT works with SARI a lot in the varietal release, soil fertility area, building their capacity to communicate their findings to the farmers because most at times their findings stay at the institute without getting to the farmers. 

They also strengthen the local implementing partners such as CBOs, to carry the technology to the ground, since ATT does not work directly with the farmers. 

He indicated, the strategy is that, as a project, after five years, is ended the local partners can handle while you are gone. Regarding the five year mandate, working to transform Agriculture in Northern Ghana, Mr. Salifu explained further that ATT have been able to help established about five private seed processing companies, increased the number of farmers that used certified seed from 11 percent to 38 percent, established an Irrigation Dam for SARI, to enable them have three seasons for varietal release. 

The Executive Director of Meta Foundation David Azupogo

The Executive Director of Meta Foundation Agriculture related Non-Governmental Organization David Azupogo a beneficiary of ATT, expressed satisfaction of how his organization has been strengthened by ATT’s assistance. 

He stated that, his out fit benefited through capacity building for data management in the office and field, integrated soil fertility management that will help farmers adapt good agronomic practices that could lead to improve yields, access to improved seed and input to farmers and climate change issues among others.