The Market Oriented Agriculture Programme (MOAP) under the German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ) has facilitated a farm input forum for farmers at Fian, a farming community in the Daffiama-Bussie-Issa District of the Upper West Region.
The objective of the agro-input forum according to officials of GIZ-MOAP is to ensure easy access to quality farm inputs by farmers at Fian and neighbouring farming villages in the district
The forum, which is organized for the 3rd time also gives agricultural experts a platform to interact with farmers on good agronomic practices including fertilizer application and pest control.
Similar events are expected to be held in three communities in the DBI district and 42 communities across the 14 project districts in the Upper West and Savannah and North East regions. Agro input dealers from Daffiama and Bussie at the event exhibited their agro inputs for farmers.
Addressing farmers at the event, Mr Emile Aman, a GIZ-MOAP Input and Crop Protection Specialist said the agro-input forum also aims to create linkages between farmers and input dealers as well as enable GIZ-MOAP to disseminate key agricultural messages to the farmers.
Madam Evelyn Naazie, a farmer at the event and secretary to (Ka Ti Kari Nangbare), a women-only farmer’s group disclosed that the forum has benefited farmers by reducing their agro input cost since farmers were able to buy inputs at the forum without having to travel long distances to the market for that same agro-inputs.
Some agro-input dealers at the event disclosed that the forum has enabled them to make more sales. Mr Kobina Naazie, an input dealer at Bussie speaking to Info Radio disclosed that he was able to make over Ten Thousand Ghana cedes in sales last year at the forum.