Ashaiman rice farmers diversify into vegetable cultivation
Local rice farmers at the Ashaiman Irrigation Dam site of the Irrigation Development Authority (IDA) have diversified into the cultivation of vegetables, instead of growing rice on large scale, because of lack of machinery and credit. Advertisement
Though they have cultivated rice on portions of the land, they have added the cultivation of corn, onions, cabbage, okro, among others, to their activities.
Even though they claim that local rice now has a ready market, they have some challenges which have forced them to diversify to generate some income for rice cultivation.
They are of the view that buyers procure the rice from them cheaply but sell it at higher prices on the market.
Those the Daily Graphic spoke to said they would need power tillers to facilitate the preparation of the land, planting, harvesting and threshing.
The farmers said they were in the rice harvesting season, and they had to do everything manually, a situation which delays work and puts pressure on them.
During a visit to the site on Monday, it was realised that most of the rice farmers had left the place. However, they were there on Thursday preparing the land for planting new seedlings, while those engaged in other crops were also busily irrigating their farms.
One of the farmers, Mr Ben Kanati, who said he was initially into rice farming, noted that he had now apportioned part of his land to corn cultivation and the rest for rice.
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He explained that he produced perfumed rice which was not different from perfumed rice that was imported.
Mr Kanati said traders deliberately mixed local perfumed rice with imported non-perfumed rice to attract high prices and make more profit.
He said the farmers had access to MASLOC credit but it was not regular and also not enough to meet their needs.
He stated that other loan facilities were granted them on short-term basis and attracted high interests.
“We were not given more than between GH¢700 and GH¢900 payable within a short term, while we hire a power tiller at GH¢150 per acre to prepare land for planting,” he said.
He said there were other post-harvest expenses they incurred, including conveyance of the rice to drying grounds, drying and milling before the rice would be ready for sale.
Mr Kanati said the association of local rice farmers had about 100 members and they operated on the left and right banks of the irrigation dam.
He said the irrigation site was under the management of the IDA, which sometimes sent students from tertiary institutions to under study their operations, while the farmers also benefited from new techniques from the scheme.
He appealed to the companies that extended credit to them to consider granting them loans for a period of about two years to be repaid by instalments.
A former President of the association, Mr Jordan Aggor, explained that the farmers were working hard enough but their earnings did not match the energy they put in.
He explained that the farmers had just decided to ensure that they survived, hence the need to inter-crop the rice with onions, corn and vegetables.
Mr Aggor said this period was for onions and corn and so most of the farmers had turned to them but still maintained rice cultivation on a certain scale.
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He also appealed for support to enable members of the association to increase rice production.
By Rose Hayford Darko/Daily Graphic/Ghana