An
Innovation Platform (IP) system implemented under the crop-small ruminant
project is however promoting integrated agriculture for food security.
The
thee-year project is looking at sustainable intensification of integrated
crop-small ruminant production systems in West Africa – Ghana, Benin, Mali and
The Gambia.
“When
we talk about food security, it is not just filling our bellies but that quality,
that is the protein content of the food is necessary for us to attain food
security and we are looking at legumes as source of protein and the sheep and
goat also source of protein and income,” says Dr. Stella Ennin, Regional
Coordinator of the project.
The
strategy of the Integrated Agricultural Research for Development (IAR4D) is to
develop and disseminated technologies through the innovation platforms.
The
innovation platform process involves key players along the value-chain of crops
and livestock production – including farmers, researchers, extension, credit
providers, processors, traders and the media.
These
interest groups deliberate on issues and ways to improve on the productivity of
the crops, sheep and goats.
“Goats
and sheep are important in food security; their turnover is very high and then also
we realize a lot of women are involved in the raising of sheep and goat and
therefore if we are looking at poverty reduction, we can easily target women
who are down the line,” stated Dr. Ennin.
The
project has come up with cowpea and groundnut varieties serving the dual purpose
of grain and fodder – these are yielding 50-100 percent of existing varieties.
“We
are distributing the seeds, multiplying and would be sharing these seeds among
the farmers and other seed growers within the sub-region,” Dr. Ennin said.
Stakeholders
have been reviewing the $1.2 million project funded by the Australian Department
of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) under the West and Central African Council
for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF/WECARD).
In
the two years of implementation, 960 households and 240 other value chain
actors in cereal/legume and sheep/goat production have been surveyed, whilst 16
community innovation platforms have been established with direct membership of
500 farmers.
In
Ghana, the Crops Research Institute (CRI) of the Council for Scientific and
Industrial Research (CSIR) is targeting farmers in the Atebubu-Amantin
Municipality of the Brong Ahafo region.
“The
most exciting of the innovations is a change in mindset that is emerging in
some of our IPs, that is IP members themselves are making monthly contributions
as a group to finance critical aspects of their farm operations,” observed Dr. Abdulai
Baba Salifu, Director-General of the CSIR.
The
lessons learnt in the past two years are being documented for knowledge sharing
in all four participating countries, said Dr. Ennin.
Story
by Kofi Adu Domfeh
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