Currently, the country is faced with price hikes of chemical fertilizer leading to a high cost of production oscillating farmers from production. To combat the challenge, reduce the harmful effect associated with chemical fertilizer usage, and ensure the production of quality products by the farmers, the best option is to patronize organic fertilizers.
To help the stakeholders most especially the farmers to regulate the organic fertiliser usage to improve the agricultural sector the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) in collaboration with the Plant Protection and Regulatory Service Directorate of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (PPRSD/MoFA) has held a handing over ceremony on awareness creation of the organic fertilizer guidelines to the stakeholders.
Delivering the keynote address at the handing over ceremony, the Acting Director of CSIR-Soil Research Dr. Edward Yeboah explained that climate changes, soil degradation, erosion, and other factors account for the bad nature of our lands leading to loss of soil fertility. However, to enrich the soil to make it good for production, farmers ought to involve in the use of organic fertilizers.
The benefit of applying organic fertilizers is far-reaching besides providing the nutrients needed by the crops, it enhances the physical environment for the crops to develop. The organic fertilizer provides soil stability and improvement of soil nutrient retention for high productivity.
“The challenge for the organic sector has been the quality of the material that we need to use to provide the nutrients needed, so over the years, we have seen a number of people producing organic fertilizers but we don’t get the expected results when it is applied all because of the quality of the material is very low and the nutrient contents are not prescribe on the material and the application rate of most of these organic fertilizers are not prescribe by the producers”, Dr. Yeboah acknowledged.
He extolled the provision of the guidelines to help regulate the organic sector in the agricultural landscape such that there would be certified organic fertilizers that would provide the nutrients needed by the crops for good yield.
He urged that agriculture should not be seen as a just business rather, there should be innovative management practices that would contribute to the improvement of soil fertility, productivity, and better livelihoods for farmers.
He called the government and private sector to invest largely in the agricultural sector to help boost agribusiness in the country.
Highlighting some of the policies that contribute to the food security in Ghana Dr. Lionel Axel Kadja, the West Africa Regional Head of Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) said one of the ways to ensure food security in the country is the Planting for Food and Jobs initiative introduced by the government.
The stunning elements that make the initiative one of the best policies to achieve food sufficiency in the country are the five pillars that guide the policy.
The initiative’s 5 pillars thus; provision of good improved seeds, fertilizers, availability of markets, and provision of extension officers joining farmers and E-agriculture; where farmers would be able to use modern technology to advertise their products are solid pillars to enhance the agriculture sector.
“Once these pillars are effectively administered, food will not be a problem in the country within the coming years”, Dr. Lionel Axel Kadja said.
A panel discussion involving representatives from PPRSD, Jekora Ventures, Peasant Farmers Association, and 4R Project brought to light some challenges faced by farmers and how to curb these challenges.
The peasant farmers association complained about soil infertility, especially in the Northern part of the country. This is because the inorganic fertilizers that are used by the farmers do not have the correct amount of soil nutrients needed by plants.
However, the introduction of organic fertilizers would go a long way to enrich the soil, providing the right nutrients that are needed by the soil for higher production.
The association also commended AGRA for such an initiative to provide these guidelines that would give farmers more education on the uses and the requirement of organic fertilizers.
Jekora Ventures, a waste management company that produces organic fertilizers elaborated on how the organic fertilizers are made through waste materials and appealed to farmers to patronize the products that they believe can help the plant growth and promote the plants’ ecosystem.
4R project beseeched to invest in local industries that produce organic fertilizers for the producers to upscale production.
The Organic Fertilizer Guidelines were handed over to the farmers and the organic producers.
