Some 40 agric extension officers in the Western Region have undergone training on the application and harmful effects of Aflatoxin.
The purpose of the Training of Trainers exercise is to get the extension officers well informed about aflatoxin and in turn, impact the knowledge on farmers.
The agric extension officers are in direct contact with farmers consistently and would be very instrumental in the fight against Aflatoxins, thus, the NASAM Team finding it very important to involve them in sensitizing farmers.
The NASA team – under the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) – the first visit in Western Region was to a community called Whindo Assembly were members of the team interacted and educated grains farmers in the entire area. A total of about 100 farmers showed up at the event.
The second community visit was to Assakae, a very vibrant trading town where the team also sensitized about 50 farmers and traders of grains about the dangers and measures to curb the Aflatoxin menace.
Farmer concerns
During the trainings, some farmers called for more support from Government, and raised concerns about the lack of ready markets for their produce, expensive cost of inputs.
Ministry of Food and Agriculture’s Western Regional Director, S.Y. Apiigya, speaking at one of the training sessions, emphasized the harmful effects of Aflatoxins on both crops and animals.
He urged the Agric Extension Officers who were present at the training to take the education which was imparted unto them seriously.
Business Development Manager of GSA, George Anti, also emphasized on the need for the farmers to take the sensitization with all the seriousness it deserves.
“This is because Aflatoxins pose serious health effects to both humans and animals as well as affecting our economy badly when goods are rejected from entering the EU and other countries when the Aflatoxin levels are high.”
By Melvin Tarlue