The Ohawu Agricultural College (OAC) in collaboration with Tu Delft University, Netherlands, and Holland GreenTech has celebrated the graduation of 43 students who pursued studies in Horticulture and Entrepreneurship Development.
The students underwent comprehensive training covering seed selection, nursery practices, plant care, plant nutrition, disease control under the Horticulture program, and product development, idea generation, and market production under the Entrepreneurship program.
The Netherlands Government funded the “OAC Archipelago Training Project,” a pilot initiative aimed at empowering youth in the area.
Mr. Samuel Darbah, National Coordinator of the Archipelago Project at Kwadaso Agricultural College, highlighted the success of earlier trainees from a similar project in Kumasi, emphasizing their positive strides in the market.
The three-month training equipped participants with enhanced skills in horticulture production, farm and soil management, and marketing.
Madam Anne-Katrien Denissen from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency commended the entrepreneurship skills demonstrated by the students during the graduation exhibition.
Expressing optimism, she hinted at potential expansion to other colleges following a thorough review.
Mr. Ernest Abiew, the Principal of OAC, pledged to scale up the pilot program to benefit more individuals.
The college currently offers diploma and certificate programs in General Agriculture and plans to introduce a certificate program in Animal Health and Production Services in 2024.
The horticulture and entrepreneurship courses will be maintained as short courses, ensuring a holistic approach to agricultural training.
Established in 1965, the Ohawu Agricultural College has evolved from a Mechanisation Centre to a prominent training institution, annually educating over 300 agricultural agents.