The total amount of food produced in the Lambussie has seen a sharp increase due to the growing number of farmers under the Planting for Food and Jobs.
Food productivity increased from an initial 3,355 metric tons in 2016 to 9,567 metric tons in 2018.
This year although the harvesting is not completely over, stakeholders in the agricultural sector are predicting an increase in the total food produced.
When the Lambussie District took its turn at the Meet the Press Series, the DCE for the area, Braimah Iddrisu Wikana disclosed that out of the total 3,728 farmers registered under the program, 2,569 of them were trained on best agricultural practices, consequently the increased in food production.
The Planting for Food and Jobs Program was introduced in 2017 as a means of encouraging more people into agriculture and increasing the amount of food the country produces for food security.
In the Lambussie District, a total of 107,385 bags of NPK, UREA and Sulphate of ammonia have been distributed to farmers over the 3 year period.
The DCE for Lambussie Braimah Iddrisu Wikana under the Planting for Export and Rural Development Program, a total of 50 thousand Ghana Cedis was spent to raise cashew seedlings for distribution among farmers.
To enhance productivity, 14 cashew farmers were sponsored to be trained on best agronomic practices in the Savannah Region.
Mr. Wikana said government’s program to encourage dry season farming, One Village One Dam is steadily on course.
He said contracts have been handed over to contractors for work to begin in Tabiere, Zumara, Kokoligo, Nawie, Koro-Bongnuo and Kohuo.
Mr. Wikana said the Sentu Dam which is being constructed by the Irrigation Development Authority (IDA) is at the completion stage.
Mr. Wikana said the District is benefitting from government’s One million dollars per constituency.
He mentioned the construction of two 3 unit classroom block with ancillary facilities at the Lambussie Girls’ Model School and Kanguol, the procurement of 300 dual desks as some of the projects being funded under the Ministry of Special Development Initiatives. Others are the construction of 6 solar powered Small Town Water Systems at Koro, Chum, Karni, Chetu, Billaw, and Dahile.
The Lambussie District Director of Agriculture, Dr. Timothy Sindim said although the fall army worms have come to stay, they formation of spraying gangs in the district had reduced the damage caused by the pests.
Dr. Sindim said farmers were also trained on early detection of the worms and simple treatment methods to salvage farms. He added that very few cases of the worms were reported this year.
“2017, when it [fall army worm infestation] started it was serious so we had to go for the chemicals about 3 times and even it was not enough, but for 2018 because of the spraying gangs we formed, it reduced. For 2019 when we went for the first batch of the chemicals, part of them is even left at the office,” he explained.
Dr. Sindim encouraged farmers to remain vigilant and report cases early to his outfit for redress.
Story filed by Mark Smith
