sunday

The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) in collaboration with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) on Tuesday implemented the Savannah Zone Agricultural Productivity Improvement Project (SAPIP) worth USD $40.38 million to increase agricultural productivity.

The five year project funded by the African Development Bank Group was on soil fertility management under the SAPIP, aimed to transform agricultural valve chains for food and nutrition security.

Dr Ernest Asiedu, the Agronomist and Seed Expert at MOFA- SAPIP, said the project, which is being implemented in the three Regions of the North to transform the lives of the zone’s constitutes, the poorest part of the country with a poverty rate of over 40 per cent.

He indicated that the SAPIP project would be enhancing the country macro-economic stability, economic growth, food and nutrition security, job creation and poverty reduction in the country.

He said the project would identify sustainable soil management practices that would be used to reverse the downward trend in soil degradation to improve the food and nutrition security leading to a healthy society.

According to him, there would be training for stakeholders on facilitating, Digital Soil Mapping (DSM) and soil testing, Soil degradation and climate change to promote agriculture.

Mr Felix Darimaani, the Project Coordinator of MOFA-SAPIP, stated that the project would be implemented in some selected districts in Agribusiness zone, which were: Savelugu, Nanton, Tolon, Kumbungu, West Gonja, West Mamprusi in the Northern Region and Builsa South in the Upper East Region.

Mr Francis Ennor, the Upper East Regional Director of Department of Agriculture, disclosed that 250,000 farmers would be supported nationwide through input subsidy programme of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.

He said 50 per cent of the beneficiaries would be women and the youth.

Dr Edward Yeboah, Project Leader of SAPIP at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Soil Research Institute, Kumasi,  said  as part of SAPIP project, there would be training for 100 Agricultural Extension Agents (AEA) on DSM and soil testing  in the three regions of the north as part of the project.