MTN Ghana Foundation equips 40 rural women farmers
MTN Ghana Foundation has taken another judicious step by empowering 40 rural women farmers with the requisite modern farming mythologies to help them increase their crop production.
The well–packed training which took place at Santor, in the Greater Accra region was held to commemorate this year’s International Day of Rural Women.
The Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer at MTN Ghana, Adwoa Afriyie Wiafe speaking at the training lauded the crucial role rural women are playing in the agricultural sector toward ensuring food security; hence there is a need to empower them to adopt Good Agronomic Practices (GAPs) in farming activities to help them benefit from their sweat.
“We brought in some agricultural extension officers who will follow up with the women to ensure they are practising what they learned,” she explained.
“The impact we seek is for these women to learn new practices and propagate their knowledge to others in their communities.
A key focus was on utilizing limited farmland more efficiently. “With farmlands getting smaller, the question is how to increase yields on the land. This crucial training will women to new ways of farming to improve what they already do,” Madam Wiafe explained.
The Operations Manager/Agronomist at Defarmercist Ghana Alex Afari also advised the farmers to farmers to plant the right way; adding that they should also endeavor to seek expert advice to enable them to reap the needed benefits from their farming investment.
On the demonstration field, he seized the opportunity to teach the farmers how to dibble and plant in rows to increase plant population to get more yields.
Alex Afari also advised farmers to prioritize irrigation as rainfall becomes less reliable. “If you have access to irrigation, you can produce year-round and make more money in the dry season,” he said.
READ ALSO: Zoomlion Foundation, partners mark health and handwashing awareness campaign
MTN hopes the workshops will boost productivity on limited farmlands through sustainable practices. Extension officers will follow up to ensure farmers apply their new knowledge.
The training aimed to address the low yields faced by many female farmers due to a lack of access to modern techniques.
The International Day for Rural Women recognizes the critical role played by rural women in ensuring food security and sustainable development globally. It aims to promote women’s rights and empowerment in agricultural and rural communities.