By Buertey Francis BORYOR
MTN Ghana Foundation, in collaboration with Holland Greentech Ghana, marked this year’s International Day of Rural Women (IDRW) with some female farmers in the Greater Accra Region.
Celebrated on 15th October every year, the IDRW aims to acknowledge the critical role and contribution of rural women including- Indigenous women, in enhancing agricultural and rural development, improving food security, and eradicating rural poverty.
Additionally, it is to congratulate the rural female farmers for their hard work and to introduce to them some modern technologies used in farming.
Mrs Adwoa Afriyie Wiafe, Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Office, MTN Ghana Foundation, in an interview with media at the event said, the drive formed part of the telecom giant’s commitments towards empowering women in agriculture through technology.
According to her, it was crucial to support women in farming- as the country depended on small holder farmers. “Planting foodstuff in your backyard will help reduce the cost of food buying in homes,” she added.
While accentuating the importance of agribusiness, Mrs Wiafe urged women, particularly the youth in agriculture to leverage modern technology in order to boost production. Additionally, she encouraged all to add farming to their day-to- day activities to ensure food security.
Mr. Charles Agyeman, General Manager of Defarmercist Limited, emphasised the need to use modern technologies in farming, explaining that the new irrigation systems allow farmers to water and fertilize their plants effortlessly. “Women in farming were taken through modern farming technologies, proper ways of applying fertilizers and usage of chemicals to improve their yields,” he added.
Mrs. Ami Christell Gle, a farmer who benefitted from past projects, underscored the importance of modern farming systems, such as- the innovative drip irrigation system and how it had helped her grow her yields. She called on all women in farming to adopt and use these new methods and technologies in farming to reduce costs.
Beneficiaries of the project expressed profound gratitude to MTN Ghana Foundation for the initiative. This year’s participants are expected to share the knowledge with other farmers in their respective communities.
