The farmers enjoying some tutorials during the training
Over 1,000 smallholder farmers have benefited from a training programme organized by Opportunity International Savings and Loans Limited (OISL).
Supported by the UK Aid, the programme is part of efforts by the multiple award-winning financial institution to transform small-scale farming and help contribute to the growth of the agriculture sector in Ghana.
Farmers from Brong Ahafo, Ashanti and Northern benefited from the first phase of the programme which lasted over nine months.
OISL intends to train over 6,000 smallholder farmers across the country by 2018.
Speaking in an interview, Head of AgriBusiness of OISL, Isaac Kojo Gyesi, acknowledged that farmers at all levels of the agriculture value chain lack knowledge in modern farming practices and need to upgrade their skills in farming.
“To address these challenges, OISL with financial support from the UK Aid, is organizing these training workshops across the country with the objective of equipping the farmers with the appropriate farming technology. This will lead to improved yield, increased incomes and total financial and holistic transformation of the smallholder farmers in Ghana.”
He added that building the capacity of the farmers will enable them improve their living standards through enhanced understanding and implementation of good agricultural practices, business planning and financial literacy skills.
Participants were taking through how to observe good agricultural practices, understanding farming as a business, financial literacy, records keeping for production activities, harvest and sales and also risk mitigation in agriculture.
Other topics included production and preparation of a crop budget and e-banking products being offered by OISL, and the newly launched Opportunity mobile cell phone banking solution.