Dr. Karl Laryea explaining some features of the tractors to some farmers
SOME NEW highly efficient tractors and farming equipment custom-made for Ghanaian farmers in the Czech Republic recently arrived in the country to help revolutionize local farming.
The Cabrio Compact Tractor and the Global Multipurpose Mini Tractor, which were procured by government with a 10 million Euros facility from the Czech Export Bank arranged by Knights a.s. of the Czech Republic without interest, are designed to specifically help reduce the importation of rice and other cereals.
A.K.B Deyang, Director of the Agricultural Engineering Services Directorate (AESD) of the Ministry of Agriculture, who addressed the farmers and the media during a demonstration exercise at the Ghana Prisons Service Camp farms in Kasoa in the Central Region during the weekend, said the tractors would allow rice farmers to harvest and thresh their rice on the fields, while maneuvering in wet and muddy areas.
He said an agreement on the tractors was signed in April 2018, when a delegation from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, led by Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, its minister, visited the Czech Republic.
He said so far, 220 Cabrio Compact Tractors and 300 Global Multipurpose Mini Tractors have arrived in Ghana under the first phase of the project.
Mr Deyang highlighted that the rationale behind the project was to help boost the government’s programme, “Planting for Food and Job”, for farmers.
“Cabrio Compact Tractors and Global Mini Tractors are simple, effective and affordable and can help relieve the small or medium-scale farmer of the ordeals they go through in their daily farming activities,” Mr Deyang said.
Dr Karl Laryea, Chief Executive Officer of Knights, a.s, who explained the effectiveness of the tractors, said the Cabrio and Global tractors were multipurpose with wide ranges of active and passive accessories. For example, he said the Cabrio Compact Tractor was manufactured for medium scale farmers or small-scale farmer associations/cooperatives with a cultivated area of about 20 hectares, while the Global Multipurpose Mini Tractor was for small-scale farmers who cultivated about two to three hectares.
Dr. Laryea said Knights, a.s. of Czech Republic boasted of excellent results on the test trials of their tractors in many Sub-Saharan African countries including Oyo State of Nigeria, Taraba State of Nigeria, Guinea Conakry, Liberia, Republic of Benin, Burkina Faso, Uganda, Angola, D.R. Congo and Zambia, where the tractors had helped to churn out amazing results in agriculture.
He therefore called on farmer organisations and cooperatives across the country to access the highly efficient Czech made tractors and experience farming the modern way.