Ghana
September 19, 2023
H.E. Jeroen Verheul (center), Ambassador of the Netherlands Embassy to Ghana, prepares to cut the ribbon for the opening of the Ghana learning farm as Jemima Djah, EWS-KT Knowledge Transfer Manager for Ghana; Ansu Kumi, Municipal Chief Executive for the Sunyani Municipal Assembly; Coen Everts, East-West Seed Regional Business Head, West Africa; and Dennis Abugri Amenga, Regional Director of Agriculture, Bono Region, look on.
East-West Seed Knowledge Transfer Foundation (EWS-KT) is proud to announce the official opening of its first Knowledge Transfer learning farm in Ghana.
“The establishment of this learning farm marks a significant step in our mission to promote vegetable production as a rewarding business opportunity and enhance the livelihoods of smallholder farmers,” stated Jemima Djah, EWS-KT Knowledge Transfer Manager for Ghana.
An aerial view of the learning farm on opening day.
The learning farm, located in Sunyani Abesim, plays a pivotal role in EWS-KT’s Knowledge Transfer approach. The farm showcases effective agronomic techniques for growing a variety of vegetables, including crops like tomato, onion, and cabbage. Furthermore, it serves as a learning center for staff, local farmers, and sector professionals.
EWS-KT staff talk with visitors on opening day.
H.E. Jeroen Verheul, Ambassador of the Netherlands Embassy to Ghana, officiated at the inauguration ceremony on 14 September. “I am very impressed by the progress Knowledge Transfer has made in so little time,” he said. “The other thing I am very impressed about is the use of local materials. So, what you see here is that there is very little imported material. The seeds are imported, that is true, but the rest that is being used for production is locally available, whether it is cocoa leaves, mango leaves, bamboo sticks, the sugar that is used to control the pests [in sweet traps]. You can get everything locally . . . and that is very important for the cost benefit of production for a farmer.”
He added, “What I have noticed is that many farmers have questions, they have certain ideas of how they should use their vegetables . . . For example, many farmers believe that you cannot grow onions during the rainy season. Here you can see that East-West has a variety of onions that you can also grow during the rainy season. So these are the kind of things that should be expanded, so that farmers can produce better, so that the market is better served, and that food security is protected.”
Ansu Kumi, Municipal Chief Executive for the Sunyani Municipal Assembly, addresses the assembled crowd.
The honorable Ansu Kumi, Municipal Chief Executive for the Sunyani Municipal Assembly, also spoke at the event. “I’m extremely excited [about the learning farm]. I’m so happy that at least I played a part in making sure that this has come to reality . . . by assisting to help secure a site for the learning farm,” he said. “It is my firm belief that we can change the narrative where now we think that there is no best tomato that can be produced apart from the ones we import from Burkina Faso . . . Look at the nature and size of the cucumber that have been produced [at the learning farm], look at the cabbage, look at the sweet corn and so on . . . Going forward, there wouldn’t be so much need for us to import tomatoes or onions from Niger or Burkina Faso.”
The learning farm represents the inception of EWS-KT’s Knowledge Transfer journey in Ghana. Over the coming months, the Ghana field team will begin working in nearby villages, guiding selected farmers in the establishment of demonstration plots utilizing improved horticultural techniques. The demonstration plots will function as hubs for practical training of neighboring farmers on all stages of crop production, from land preparation through harvest.
EWS-KT operations in Ghana began in December 2022, and our objective is to train 1,000 farmers this year in the Sunyani area, empowering them with the knowledge and skills to run sustainable and profitable farming businesses.
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