A number of women in the Lambussie District have been trained on the use of simple farm tools like the hand held planter, fertilizer distributer and knapsack sprayers.
The aim of the training was to reduce the time and energy spent on undertaking simple farm activities.
The CEO of UB Global links Randy Haile Selase said as women cannot handle heavy equipment or engage in back-breaking manual activities for long, there is the need to find alternative means of helping the women engage in agriculture without its related hassle.
He added that if women can do these simple tasks by themselves, it will help them save money that would have been spent on hiring people to execute same.
Studies over the years have shown that women are marginalized in the area of agriculture.
They do not have access to land and mechanization services due to competing demands from the men.
“A lot of women have problems when it comes to mechanization, men have the muscles and means [of transport] to go round chasing tractors, but the women most of them do not have same, they have to walk,” he explained.
In the Lambussie and Nandom districts however, UB Global Links, a social enterprise is helping women access land and mechanization as well as educating them on best agronomic practices on credit.
Over the past two (2) years, the enterprise has been importing several simple tools and equipment for outright and hire purchase to farming co-operatives in the five regions of the North. In the Lambussie and Nandom districts, UB Global links is working with over four (4) thousand women in about 2 hundred groups.
The CEO, Randy Haile Selase explained that providing these services to women means that they would no longer have to compete with the men.
He said as part of empowering women in the area of agriculture, especially, in dry season farming, government should do proper needs assessment and consider desilting and renovation all existing dams saying “the government is doing its best saying it wants to build dams. We have already existing dams, some dams [new dams] are not near where residents farm. We have old dams, I would entreat government not to think of creating too many new dams but make sure that old ones [dams] that are closer to where people farm are renovated.”
The trainer, Blaise Bado Banyini, schooled the women on the importance of accurate measurements when using agro chemicals. He also explained the reasons for spraying insecticides and weedicides at specific times of the day.
An Officer with the Nandom Area Office of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Kwame Nyamekye Essel who was also present at the training spoke on the need to dispose of containers of agro chemicals properly. He said the EPA had observed with grave concern that some households after using the chemicals wash the containers and use it to drink ‘pito’, store salt and pepper or drink water. He said it was an unhealthy thing to do as the remnants of the chemicals would go into the household products and cause serious damage to their health.
He said the proper way of disposing of containers of agro chemicals is to dig a small hole on far from where crops are planted, burn the container in the hole and then cover the hole containing the ashes. He advised the women to put on proper protective clothing when spraying their fields.
The Lambussie District Director of Agriculture, Dr. Timothy Sindim said his office is aware of the many challenges facing women in agriculture. He said they in partnership with the traditional authorities are working to bring some respite to the women.
Some of the women who spoke to GBC’s Mark Smith were excited about the training. They appealed to government to help them to purchase simple farm tools to make their work easier.
The Paramount Chief of Lambussie, Bussie Kuouro, Kouro Issaka Zengeh Kazie Tenjie admitted that women have challenges when it comes to ownership of land. He however encouraged the women to approach the chiefs when they have land issues. He said he has continuously used his outfit to promote the cause of women.
Story by Mark Smith
