The Techiman North District Department of Agriculture has released its second-quarter report for 2025, highlighting key activities, achievements, and challenges in promoting agricultural development.
Key Activities
- Climate Smart Agriculture Demonstrations: The department collaborated with Accelerating the Impact of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa (AICCRA) to demonstrate climate-smart agriculture practices using yam mini-sett technology and maize and cowpea varietal demonstration.
- Training on Tomato Harvesting and Processing: The department collaborated with Harnessing Agricultural Productivity and Prosperity for the Youth (HAPPY) project to train youth female farmers on tomato harvesting and processing.
- Feed Ghana Program: The department met with officials of the Feed Ghana Program to outline details of the program, which aims to promote the agricultural sector, improve food security, and reduce reliance on imports.
Achievements
- Increased Crop Yield: Farmers who participated in the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) program recorded increased crop yields, with maize yields increasing to 37.9 bags per hectare.
- Improved Livestock Production: The department vaccinated 7,707 poultry against Newcastle disease and 141 dogs against rabies.
- Agricultural Mechanization: The department reported that 23 registered input dealers and 3 unregistered input dealers were operating in the district.
Challenges
- Inadequate Logistics: The department cited inadequate logistics, including motorbikes, as a challenge to extension activities.
- Insufficient Funds: The department reported insufficient funds for regular maintenance of office motorbikes.
- Poor Road Network: The department cited poor road networks as a challenge to mobility.
Recommendations
- Increase Funding: The department recommended increased funding for agricultural development programs.
- Improve Logistics: The department recommended providing more motorbikes and other logistics to support extension activities.
- Regulate Farm Produce Prices: The department recommended regulating farm produce prices to ensure fair prices for farmers
