It is often said that a nation that does not honour its heroes is not worth dying for. It is with that notion that the Government of Ghana instituted the Farmers day celebration as an annual event to recognize and reward farmers for their role in ensuring food security and economic development.

As complementary to these governmental efforts, three farmers were awarded by SEND-GHANA through its FOSTERING Project for their contribution to ensuring food security in the East Gonja District. 

The criteria for selecting awardees were based not only on their level of productivity in soya bean but also on the basis of their compliance with Good Agronomic Practices (GAP). Technical advice on GAP for the year under review was given to farmers by agriculture extension agents from both the office of the District Agriculture Department (DAD) and SEND-GHANA’S Agriculture Extension Field Officers. 

SEND-GHANA together with DAD selected the three (3) awardees (two women and one man) from across the eighteen (18) Family Based Farmer Cooperatives (FBFCs).  Also, three (3) Family Based Farmer Cooperatives out of the eighteen (18) were awarded as best performing FBFC. With smiling faces award winners proudly walked away with items ranging from bicycles, knapsack sprayers, wellington boots, cutlasses as well as various sums of money.

The event afforded an opportunity to highlight SEND-GHANA’s flagship project dubbed FOSTERING, meaning Food Security through Cooperatives in Northern Ghana.

The project is being funded Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development, Canada (DFATD) with contribution from Canadian Co-operative Association (CCA).

It is important to note that whilst increased food production is at the very centre of SEND-GHANA’s intervention, nutrition and utilization is also of crucial importance for healthy growth and development, especially of children and pregnant women. Nutrition and home processing therefore is one of components of the FOSTERING project. Apart from food insecurity SEND-GHANA also recognized the issue of malnutrition among farmers in its operational areas and therefore the need to showcase the high nutritive value of soya beans. This was done through an exhibition that was mounted to showcase various soya bean dishes prepared by farmers trained by SEND-GHANA in soya fortification and utilization.

Story by Joshua Gumah, Agriculture and Climate Change Officer, SEND-GHANA