• 100 small-scale farmers in Tetekaaso, Bouya and New Apaso communities and members of women groups are trained and can increase their food production. Moreover, they now have access to over 20,000 consumers.
• In turn, the increase of income by at least 50% will benefit 300 to 500 family members and reduce poverty levels among these families.
• This project will produce a better climate and increased climate reliance of the farming families because farmers will learn how to manage their water better, utilize their waste, and plant and protect trees.

Longer term impact is threefold:

• Better health and well-being for the farming families, as well as, the 20,000+ staff and  students at Kwame Nkrumah University Of Science And Technology (KNUST), and Kumasi Institute of Tropical Agriculture (KITA) by gaining access to nutritious, organic foods through on campus Green Market Fairs and the Farming Families Online Market Store.
• Food security for school children through school feeding progams at primary and secondary schools. Public schools will be able to purchase fresh produce directly from farmer families.
• Farmer family groups will directly market their produce to the National Buffer Stock Company

The budget for the following activities is GHS 20,661 (or €3,047):

• Using their competency-based curriculum, the partnering Kumasi Institute of Tropical Agriculture (KITA) will train farmer families to: 1) Grow staple foods and produce banana seedlings in large quantities; and adding value to these crops for example by processing cassava and plantain into (fufu) flour, plantain chips, fortified gari – using best practices; 2)Practice environmental-friendly agriculture – using the farmer field school approach; and 3) Be informed on nutritious food.
• Linking farmer families to Green Market Fairs and the Farming Families Fairs Online Market Store, and to the National Buffer Stock Company for bulk purchase – using the farmer business school model.

PINASOL contributes another €5,077 to the project that will be used for a revolving loan of €100 equivalent towards equipment and farm inputs – payable over 6 months. The funds will be recollected and input back in the project to support other families. In addition he Ministry of Food and Agriculture provide improved seedlings for the farmers. The total project costs are set at GHS103,306 (or €15,235). That would allow to target up to 500 families.

The implementation is still running. Below you find the first results:

PINASOL trained 80 farmers in groups of small-scale farmers and women groups to grow staple crops in a climate friendly way. Some of these crops are maize, plantain, yams, cassava, cocoyam, cocoa, rice and other local nutritious and indigenous vegetables. We will also train them how to process foods in ways that add value and provide them access to the market. For example, processing cassava and plantain to make fufu floor, drying bananas and plantains to produce chips, or making fortified gari are a few ways farmers came add value to their products and increase their profits.

What was different than planned and why:

1. Fencing: we had to fence the land. Due to cattle and Strayed animals close to the farm, it became necessary to fence the farm to avoid the destruction of the farm by animals.
2. Access to land: the challenge is availability of land. Arrangement is being done with chiefs and individuals for plots of lands for the scaling up and implementation of the project
3. Access to Water: The project depended on a stream close to the demonstration farm for watering the seedlings which dried up due to the dry season. The intent to drill Mechanized borehole was not feasible due to the high cost against what was budgeted and planned.

In Feb’22 Pinasol trained 80 farmers, of whom 21 already reported an increased income.

Objectives to reach with the remaining budget – when the main rainy season which start from March to August 2022  – are:

• 100 small-scale farmers in Tetekaaso, Bouya and New Apaso communities and members of women groups are trained and can increase their food production. Moreover, they now have access to over 20,000 consumers.
• In turn, the increase of income by at least 50% will benefit 300 to 500 family members and reduce poverty levels among these families.
• This project will produce a better climate and increased climate reliance of the farming families because farmers will learn how to manage their water better, utilize their waste, and plant and protect trees.

200 family members at Bouya and Dadease communities benefited from increased harvest and income.

The community welcomed the project and they became excited since the output of the project will increase their revenue in the village savings and loans program where they will have opportunity to borrow small loans for small interest.

1. 80 small-scale farmers reached and trained on climate smart agriculture and how to manage their water to increase their yield
2. 21 small-scale farmers piloted maize plantation in climate smart way.
3. Land is being negotiated for the small scale farmers for  scaling up of the project.
4. 500 seedlings of Chilli pepper nursed in waste plastic containers to save the environment
5. Farmers trained on how to use the seed planter for planting seeds.
6. The farmers are yet to be trained on the food processing.

Follow up

The 991 farmers currently engaged in PINASOL’s VSLA Program (Village Savings and Loan Association) indicate that climate change, inadequate farm inputs and post-harvest storage are major challenges for them. Therefore, this project aims to provide quality inputs, such as, seeds, seedlings, equipment, climate-smart agriculture and online marketing.