The one-year in-depth training course focused on six key areas including seedling production, crop protection, spray techniques, irrigation and fertilization, production planning and adult learning.      Mr Ron Strikker, the Netherlands Ambassador to Ghana, presenting certificates to the trainees at the graduation ceremony, during the 16th GhanaVeg Business Platform Meeting in Accra, highlighted the role of the private sector in achieving growth.

The Business Platform Meeting was on the theme: “Agronomy and Finance for Sustainable Vegetable Businesses”.      He said this was because most agronomists were employed by Ghanaian input supply, wholesale or export companies; they could be the driver for change in the vegetable sector.

He also emphasized that a healthy diet starts with fruits and vegetables and in the coming years Ghana’s vegetables sector would grow faster than the Ghanaian economy, then the population would understand the nutrition and health benefit.

Mr Herman de Putter, the Senior Agronomy Trainer, Wageningen University and Research, said “through following the steps of the GhanaVeg Course farmers can easily double their vegetable production, while using the same amount of land.”

 “It’s all about getting the basics right,” he added.  Financial and other Institutions including Barclays Bank, Exim Bank, Fidelity Bank, University of Ghana, Wageningen University and Research and Green OK made presentations on financing the vegetable value chain, innovative horticultural sector financing, agribusiness value chain financing.

The rest are reduced incidence of harmful pest in vegetable exports, pesticide selection tool and organic fertilizer trials in vegetable. The course assisted the agronomists to train at least 2,000 farmers in their localities; increasing their yields and income.