Ecowas, world bank invest $150m into agric 

-Under FSRP to address challenges hindering food production in Ghana

By Elvis DARKO, Accra

The West Africa Food System Resilience Programme (FSRP) is injecting a substantial $150 million investment into agriculture in Ghana to enhance agricultural practices and address challenges hindering food production in the sub-region.

The five-year initiative is a collaborative effort led by the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) and funded by the World Bank.

Identifying issues such as floods, droughts, pests, and livestock diseases as impediments to food production, ECOWAS has taken the initiative to coordinate efforts among member nations.

Focus of the programme

The FSRP aims to strengthen food system risk management and increase preparedness against food insecurity in the participating countries.

Implemented in Ghana in collaboration with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), the FSRP is rolling out a comprehensive strategy encompassing adaptive, innovative, and sustainable interventions.

These interventions are designed to empower vulnerable households, families, farmers, and communities to withstand uncertainties and shocks in food production and supply within the sub-region.

Development objectives of the programme

The development objectives of the programme include reducing the number of food-insecure people by 25%, providing 211,200 food system actors with access to agro- and hydro-meteorological information, and enabling 240,000 producers to adopt Climate-Smart Agriculture, Nutrition, and Gender-sensitive technologies.

Cultivation of 4,850 hectares of land

Furthermore, the project aims to put 4,850 hectares of land under Integrated Land Management (ILM) practices and result in a 10% increase in intra-regionally traded production in selected value chains such as rice and maize.

50 districts spanning 10 regions to benefit

The impact of the project will be felt across 50 districts spanning 10 regions, with a focus on three main interventions.

The beneficiary areas in the southern sector include Greater Accra, Eastern, Volta, and Central Regions, constituting the Lower Volta Basin.

The Northern Sector, covering the Upper Volta Basin, includes Upper East, Northern, and North East Regions. The Middle Belt will see participation from Ashanti, Bono, and Bono East Regions.

Maize, rice, poultry, soya, and tomatoes

The project will particularly concentrate on key crops including maize, rice, poultry, soya, and tomatoes, aiming to boost productivity and create a more resilient and sustainable food system in Ghana.

700 hectares of inner valleys identified

Project Coordinator Mr. Osei Owusu-Agyemang has announced plans to re-engineer approximately 700 hectares of inner valleys in the Ashanti, Bono, and Eastern Regions of Ghana.

This initiative aims to significantly enhance rice production within the framework of the broader FSRP.

The re-engineering process will involve the provision of irrigation facilities to ensure all-year water availability, the construction of drying platforms, supply of improved climate-smart seeds, and the mobilization of farmers into Farm-Based Organizations.

By implementing these measures, the FSRP aims to boost productivity, reduce vulnerability to climate-related challenges, and contribute to the overall resilience of the food system.

Rehabilitation of key agricultural facilities

Mr. Owusu-Agyemang also highlighted plans for the rehabilitation of key agricultural facilities.

These include laboratories in institutions such as the Plant Genetic Resources Research Institute at Bunsu, Veterinary Services at Dormaa Ahenkro and Accra, and the Crops Research Institute in Kumasi.

Additionally, other facilities slated for rehabilitation include the Grains and Legumes Board Laboratory in Kumasi, Wheta Irrigation Scheme in the Volta Region, Savannah Agric Research Institute, Tanoso Irrigation Scheme, Vea Irrigation Scheme in the Bongo District, and laboratory facilities at selected border posts.

The rehabilitation of facilities aligns with the broader goal of ensuring sustainable and efficient agricultural practices, which will have positive ripple effects on the entire food system in the sub-region.

The FSRP’s multifaceted approach not only addresses challenges in rice production but also emphasizes the importance of upgrading and modernizing key agricultural facilities.

This comprehensive strategy is poised to contribute significantly to the development of a robust and resilient agricultural sector in the regions targeted by the programme.

Focus on sustainability

Providing an overview of the project, Mr. Philip Daniel Laryea, Operations Manager of FSRP, stated that the decision of the programme’s architects to focus on sustainability as a critical element was aimed at ensuring actual adoption and adaptation that transcended the program’s duration.

The first component of the project includes digital advisory services for agriculture and food crisis prevention and management, encompassing the collection, storage, and dissemination of data for food and nutrition, pests and diseases, and climate information.

This is intended to increase productivity at a cost of $13.11 million.

The second component, estimated at $98.2 million, will address the improvement of productivity and production in selected value chains.

This involves the rehabilitation of irrigation schemes, development of inland valleys, intensification of production of selected commodities, implementation of Integrated Landscape Management sub-projects within selected communities, and support for upgrading key institutions involved in agricultural research and support.

An amount of $24.79 million has been budgeted for supporting value chain activities and inter-regional trade of prioritized commodities as the third component.

Component four provides an opportunity for the government to use project funds to respond to disasters, requiring a manual to guide the use of funds, though no specific amount has been allotted to it.

The project also allocates $13.9 million for project management activities to coordinate, monitor, ensure compliance, and report on the progress of implementation as the fifth component.

Mr. Laryea disclosed that applications received for the roll-out of at least two million broilers, as part of efforts to revamp the broiler industry, are currently under review.

He mentioned that the project is collaborating with GMet to improve the network of Automated Weather Stations (AWS) with the view to enhancing weather information services to local farmers.

Additionally, six public warehouses have been selected for upgrade and linkage to prospective anchor farmers/aggregators.

Mr. Laryea revealed that four selected border posts are earmarked for the setting up of a pest and disease surveillance system.

300,000 Ghanaians farmers to benefit

Approximately 300,000 Ghanaians are expected to directly benefit from the project, with over one million estimated as indirect beneficiaries of the $150 million ECOWAS project.

The five-year project addresses common natural phenomena affecting food production in the sub-region, aiming to strengthen food system risk management in collaboration with ECOWAS and MoFA.