UNDP rewards hardworking farmers in Greater Accra

More than 50 farmers in the Greater Accra Region have been rewarded for their contribution to land management and food production in the region.

The farmers, who are engaged in agro forestry and ruminants rearing, are from five communities in the Ga West Municipality in the Greater Accra Region and were awarded with certificates and plques by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). 

They worked under a project titled, “Restoration of degraded lands through sustainable land management, biodiversity conservation and sustainable livelihood activities.”

The awards for the farmers were also in recognition of their efforts in planting three million trees and restoring more than 350 hectares of degraded land in the various communities in the region, with support from  Integrated Development in Focus (DIF), a non-governmental organisation.  

The farmers, a large number of whom are females, are from Yaoman, Okushiebiade, Akramaman, Meyikpor and Sogrunu Korpe.

The DIF was also recognised for training  farmers in the communities on best farming practices and for supporting them with means to market their products. 

“This worthy example by the DIF in empowering the lives of the ordinary Ghanaian deserves commendation. Its success story is illustrative of how civil society groups can work in support of the development aspirations of governments,” the UNDP Country Director, Mr Dominic Sam said.

The Agricultural Programme Officer of the DIF, Mr Benedict Kojo Kyei, conducted the UNDP Country Director round a number of farms belonging to the awardees. 

Eliminating rural poverty 

According to Mr Sam, it was important to address ways of managing land and natural resources as a means of eliminating rural poverty and enabling communities to become resilient to climate change.

“With the right interventions, we can turn the vicious cycle of climate change and desertification into a virtuous cycle of productive land and reduce greenhouse emissions,” he added.

He observed further that a sustainable land management system would enhance agriculture and increase resilience to drought and flooding as well as limit the size and frequency of uncontrolled forest fires in the country.

Capacity building for farmers

The Executive Director of the DIF, Mrs Josephine Agbo-Nettey, said through the programme, capacities of the farmers had been improved.

She said the farmers were taught how to rear ruminants as a way of improving organic farming in the communities.