More than 300 young farmers, drawn from Ketu North, Ketu South and other communities across the southern and middle belts of the country, have completed training in the operation and maintenance of modern farm machinery.

The two-day farm machinery training and capacity development programme, organised by BonAgro LOVOL in partnership with Weichai LOVOL Global and PanAfrica Savings and Loans, was aimed at improving productivity and making agriculture more attractive to the youth.

Held at the Weta Irrigation Scheme frontage at Avalavi on Friday, the programme is on the theme: ‘Driving Growth: Mastering Farm Machinery for the Future,’ combined classroom sessions with practical demonstrations.

Speaking at the event, the Machine Sales Executive for the Southern Zone at BonAgro, Mr Richmond Kwadwo Tufour, said the initiative was designed to tackle two key challenges confronting Ghana’s agricultural sector, limited access to skilled machinery operators and the high cost of mechanisation services.

He explained that although many young people were interested in mechanised farming, they often lacked the technical know-how and financial capacity.

He said the training, organised as part of the company’s corporate social responsibility, sought to equip participants not only as equipment operators but as leaders in modern agriculture.

The Agriculture Engineering Services Division (AESD) of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture took the participants through hands-on training on LOVOL tractors, combine harvesters and track tillers, focusing on safe operation, routine maintenance and troubleshooting.

At the end of the programme, trainees were presented with certificates of completion.

Officials from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) were also present to issue Licence E to participants on-site, enabling them to legally operate agricultural machinery across the country.

Mr Tufour noted that the arrangement with the DVLA had significantly reduced the cost and bureaucratic hurdles involved in acquiring licences, adding that more than 90 per cent of farm machinery operators previously did not have formal certification.

A Divisional Chief of Atiteti under the Weta Traditional Council, Torgbi Adjei III, commended BonAgro LOVOL for investing in human capital and urged beneficiaries to pass on the knowledge acquired to other farmers in order to promote climate-smart and mechanised agriculture in the Volta Region.

The Chief Executive Officer of As-Passion, Kintampo, and the 2025 National Best Youth Farmer, Mr Reuben Asare, appealed to the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Mr Eric Opoku, to expand access to modern farm equipment for young and smallholder farmers.