The Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) has decided to offer technical support to a farm-based organization, Nyonko Do Farmers Association (NDFA), in the area of Agriculture and Agribusiness.
The decision was the outcome of a meeting between GAEC and NDFA on Wednesday, 27th January 2021.
Last year, NDFA approached the Commission to seek collaboration, support, and expertise to help boost the Association’s agric-related businesses, in line with Government’s 1D1F project.
A representative of the Association, Madam Cynthia Mensa made a strong case for the collaboration between GAEC, financial institutions, and farm-based groups within the country, adding that it would help create and sustain a viable value chain for the agricultural sector in its bid to actualize the aims of the 1D1F.
“GAEC is a credible institution, the reason we are here today seeking opportunities in terms of technical assistance from the scientists, funding and business plans/models”, she indicated.
“In spite of the farmer’s ability to produce in tons, they face a number of challenges, including, access to funds, technical know-how, and post-harvest losses”, she added.
The Acting Director of Commercialization and Communication Directorate (CCD), Mrs. Sheila Frimpong, in a brief remark, said since the first meeting last year, a lot of paperwork on collaboration between the two entities had been done.
“A memorandum of understanding has been drafted and forwarded to the Office of Legal Affairs of GAEC for their consideration and approval”, she added.
The Director of Biotechnology and Nuclear Agricultural Research Institute (BNARI) of GAEC, Dr. Micheal Osae, also enumerated the various areas of assistance the Institute would offer the Association.
This he said includes soil testing, compost production, and irrigation systems. He added that post-harvest management services with a solar dryer and Gamma irradiation technology were available to address post-harvest losses.
A representative from the Ghana Space Science and Technology Institute (GSSTI) of GAEC, Mr. Patrick Lamptey, also noted that as part of the collaboration, drone technology, and satellite imaging would be used for weather forecasting and monitoring of irrigation, fertilizer, and pesticide application.
Meanwhile, the GAEC team would arrange and take a tour of the farms and projects being undertaken by NDFA at their base in Kasoa in the Central Region. This visit would allow the team to familiarize themselves with the issues raised by the farmers firsthand. The visit to the project site would inform the next line of action.