Women farmers in the Dissah community have received a solar-powered irrigation facility to enhance dry-season vegetable production and improve their economic condition.
The implementation of this project was made possible by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) under the Market Oriented Agriculture Programme in North West Ghana (MOAP-NW), which is a component of the European Union-Ghana Agricultural Programme (EU-GAP).
The construction of the €23,000.00 worth of facility was carried out by Jonny Royals Construction Engineering Company Limited and financed by the EU. The project aims to contribute to Ghana's achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to ending poverty and hunger.
Currently, 40 women farmers in the Dissah community are benefiting from the solar-powered irrigation facility. The facility is easy to operate and has the capacity to produce approximately 60 litres of water per minute, covering an acre-sized fenced area.
Dr Andrew Harberd, the Team Leader of the Private Sector Component of MOAP-NW, highlighted the potential of the facility to generate income and improve nutrition and livelihoods, particularly among women in the Dissah Community.
He emphasized the challenges faced by rural women in agriculture, such as limited ownership and access to productive arable land and a lack of information for informed decision-making in their agricultural enterprises.
Dr Harberd stated, “There is a need to channel required resources and infrastructure to women engaged in the sector to facilitate improvements in agricultural production and productivity.”
He added that the project aligns with the government's agricultural sector development agenda, especially in the face of climatic vulnerability and increasingly erratic rainfall patterns, which call for climate-smart agricultural solutions.
As part of the project, the women beneficiaries will receive training on good agricultural practices and water management. This training is expected to result in the regular production of high-quality vegetables for both consumption and the market, thereby improving their nutrition and income status.
Alhaji Seidu Sulemana, the Savannah Regional Director of the Department of Agriculture, affirmed that this intervention aligns with the government's agricultural sector modernization agenda through the One-Village-One-Dam initiative.
He assured that his office would support MOAP-NW in providing training on Good Agronomic Practices to enable the women to produce high-quality vegetables, especially during the dry season when vegetable scarcity is prevalent.
Mr Abdul-Salaam Alhassan, the Community Mobilizer and Vegetable Expert at MOAP-NW, explained that the land's fertility had been assessed before the construction of the facility to ensure its suitability for vegetable production.
The Ghana News Agency (GNA) observed that the women had already commenced vegetable production using the facility, even before its official handover to the community.
Mr Alhassan stated, “Currently, we have not provided any training, but as the community members are enthusiastic and understand the benefits, they have started producing vegetables. Our main aim is to train them on how to produce high-value vegetables like cabbage, tomatoes, and okra to supply to bigger markets.”
Several women beneficiaries expressed their gratitude to the benefactors and shared their positive experiences through the production and sale of the vegetables.
Madam Mary Maana, one of the beneficiaries, highlighted that she earns at least GH¢50.00 every time she harvests and sells vegetables, which helps meet her financial needs.