By Nicholas Osei-Wusu
The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, CSIR, has developed software Applications meant to address pertinent challenges undermining agricultural production in Ghana.
Two of these Applications are the CSIR AgriTech Advisor, which establishes a direct linkage between crop farmers and researchers, while the CSIR Akuafuo Boafuo creates a platform for farmers to market their produce to prospective buyers.
Director of the Institute for Scientific and Technological Information of the CSIR, Dr. Seth Manteaw, made this known to stakeholders at a meeting of the Research Extension Linkages Committee at Fumesua in the Ashanti region.
The Meeting was organized by the Ashanti region’s Research Extension and Linkages Committee, RELC, at the Crops Research Institute at Fumesua near Ejisu. It was to bring all the key stakeholders in the Agricultural value chain to evaluate production in the region in the past year.
Their focus was on implementation and challenges, success and the future of the Modernization of Agriculture in Ghana, MAG, programme.
The MAG programme is a Canadian government-funded initiative that supports the Ministry of Food and Agriculture with logistics and cash, and also to enhance the relationship among players in the value chain from research through extension services.
Giving an overview of agriculture production in the region last year, the Ashanti Regional Agric Extension Officer, Gregory Osei Bonsu spoke about acute shortage of veterinary experts and inadequate Agriculture Extension Agents.
He also entreated farmers to accept that the fall army worms have come to stay, and should therefore be prepared to bear the entire cost of controlling the pests in the near future.
The Ashanti Regional Director of Agriculture, Rev. John Manu, appealed to the government to sustain the gains made through the MAG programme which ends 2022.
Two beneficiary farmers, Madam Olivia Agyeiwaa of Asante Akyem Agogo and a physically challenged Farmer and Shoe Maker, Ernest Kwaku Wiafe gave testimonies about how the MAG programme had improved their economic wellbeing.
Director of the Institute for Scientific and Technological Information of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Dr. Seth Manteaw, disclosed that CSIR had developed four software applications, two of which are directly to close the gap between researchers and farmers for improved crop production and marketing.
