The German Development Cooperation has distributed 2.1 metric tonnes of certified seeds (soybean, groundnut and sesame) to women cooperatives in the North East and Upper East Regions.
The support, which aims to increase production capacity for women farmers – particularly in the seed-oil crop value chain, is part of a bigger project that is being implemented in collaboration with Hights Enterprise Limited.
This support to the women cooperatives recognises the vital role of women farmers in food production and security in Ghana. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations, women produce around 70% of Ghana’s food crops.
Despite the contribution of women to food production in Ghana, they are faced with a number of challenges that impede their production capacity. In addition to a lack of modern farm machinery or equipment, women farmers face a significant challenge in accessing high-quality (certified) seeds.
In the North East and Upper East regions, many women in the oil crop value chain, such as soybeans, baobab and shea nuts among others rely on seeds saved from previous years’ yields, which are often poor in quality, leading to low productivity and decreased income.
To address these challenges, the German Development Cooperation and Hights Enterprise Limited – within the framework of Invest for Jobs, brand of the Special Initiative ‘Decent Work for a Just Transition’ – supports women cooperatives by providing certified seeds, capacity building in processing, machinery and personal protective equipment (PPE). Other support measures include formalisation of the cooperatives by officially registering them with the district cooperative department and introducing health and pension schemes.
At a short ceremony to distribute the seeds, Miss Eunice Agyeiwah Agyepong, Technical Advisor-Invest for Jobs, emphasised the need to support women farmers in Ghana. “By supporting these women to grow and expand, we are equally supporting a household to thrive, a community to grow and a nation to prosper.”
According to Miss Agyepong, the partnership project’s objective is to, among others, create employment opportunities for 100 women within the oil crop value chain and improve incomes for 250 women in the North East and Upper East Regions of Ghana.
On his part, Mr. Matthew Akayeti Naamlebna, CEO-Hights Enterprise Ltd., expressed his delight in partnering with the German Development Cooperation to support the growth of women cooperatives and enterprises in Ghana.
