TREEAID, a Non Governmental Organisation in the Savannah Region has appealed to traditional authorities and land owners to make fertile lands readily available to youth and women in the West Gonja Municipality to undertake productive agricultural activities to enhance their livelihoods.
In August of 2019, the United Kingdom’s Aid (UKAID) gave TREEAID a non governmental organization the green light to implement its Ghana Rural Agricultural and Cashew Enterprise (GRACE) project in the West Gonja Municipality of the Savannah Region targeting 3,600 farmers including women and youth in 42 communities.
But as the implementation of the project wore on, it hit rock surface .
The NGO met farmers, traditional leaders, opinion leaders, the municipal assembly, the agriculture department among other stakeholders to find solutions to the pressing issues.
Eric Heinno Botir,project officer of the TREEAID GRACE PROJECT bemoaned the unavailability of fertile lands for the cultivation of the cash crop in the municipality.
Although cashew is a cash crop with the promise of cash for its cultivators, its price keep flactuating, a situation Mr Eric called for assistance to address.
The NGO, TREEAID Ghana, established in 1987 by a group of foresters is currently working across five regions of Ghana including the Savannah Region.
Bearing the pain of losing their investments, some farmers taking part in the project narrated their ordeals.
Madam Adam Ramatu laments the activities of cattle herders and bush fires on the cultivation of cashew in the municipal and appeals for support.
Madam Sulemana Abibata also tauts the economic importance of cashew to the livelihood of the women and called on the custodians of the lands for their support.
Source: yagbonradioonline/Salifu Adam-Jabu
