The Development of the West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP) Technologies Dissemination Action Plan.

A technology dissemination action plan to disseminate technologies developed under the first phase of the West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP) has been developed at a four-day workshop at Ejisu near Kumasi in the Ashanti Region of Ghana.

The Savannah Young Farmers Network (SavaNet) a leading producer Non-Governmental Organization in Ghana which plays a leading role in the dissemination of technologies to farmers and other Agricultural value chain actors welcomes the development of the West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP) technologies dissemination Action Plan.

The dissemination of Agricultural technologies remains vital for the capacity development of farmers and other Agricultural value chain actors to ensure increased Agricultural production.

The effective dissemination of Agricultural technologies also establishes a good relationship between farmers, Agricultural extension officers and Agricultural Researchers which is essential in ensuring efficient information flow in order to enable Researchers come up with tailor made technologies to address the challenges of farmers and other Agricultural value chain actors.

The efficient dissemination of Agricultural technologies is of primary importance as it promotes the active engagement of the youth in Agriculture, as they are equipped with the requisite technical knowledge required to effectively utilize the factors of production for increased Agricultural production.

Furthermore, the dissemination of Agricultural technologies ensures the effective development of Agricultural value chains, as these Agricultural innovations promotes the capacity development of Agricultural value chain actors for increased Agricultural production

The technologies developed under the West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP) include those of the National Centre of Specialization (NCOS), the Competitive Agricultural Research Grants Scheme (CARGS) as well as the non-competitive ones funded by WAAPP.

Hon. Kofi Humodo, Minister of Food

and Agriculture Delivering his

Address

Opening the workshop, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Mr. Clement Kofi Humado observed that over the years several technologies were developed under the National Agricultural Research System(NARS) but their adoption rate had been very low leading to low productivity at the farmer level.

He noted that technologies, if well disseminated and adopted, will enhance the national discourse in attaining food security in the country with a spillover effect in the other West African countries.

Mr. Humado commended Research Scientists for breeding high yielding root and tuber crops and urged them to continue to develop more technologies taking into consideration climate change scenarios that pose a major challenge to farmers and sustained livelihoods. He pledged his Ministry’s support and collaboration with Research Institution to find solutions to the myriad of problems confronting farmers in the country.

In her contribution, the Deputy Director General of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Dr. (Mrs) Rose Emma M. Entsua-Mensah expressed the hope that the forum will harness all ideas of the experienced stakeholders to formulate an efficient and sustainable dissemination pathway to ensure adoption. The workshop was chaired by Professor Kwame Afreh-Nuamah of the University of Ghana, Legon.

The Savannah Young Farmers Network (SavaNet) is therefore optimistic that the development of the West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP) technologies dissemination action plan will give farmers and other Agricultural value chain actors in Ghana the capacity development required for increased Agricultural production and an enhanced food security.