USAID Supports Rice Farmers in Botanga

Project is aimed at boosting rice production and encourage mechanised agriculture was made possible through USAID funded Ghana Agriculture Technology Transfer (ATT) project

A total of 16 lead rice farmers at the Botanga Irrigation Scheme in the Kumbungu District of the Northern Region, have each been supported with power tillers and its accessories.

The package, which is aimed at boosting rice production and encourage mechanised agriculture was made possible through USAID funded Ghana Agriculture Technology Transfer (ATT) project.

The provision of the power tillers, which is in the form of a grant, is collaboration between the ATT Project and J. K Technologies, dealers in small agricultural equipment.

Mr Michael Dockery, Chief of Party of ATT project who presented the equipment at a ceremony in Botanga at the weekend said the project identified the technology and worked with J. K Technologies to introduce it to farmers.

He explained that under the initiative, the ATT project paid 70 per cent of the cost under the project's small equipment grant component while farmers also paid the remaining 30 per cent, which makes up to the total cost of GH? 22,000.

Mr Dockery said the power tillers have accessories including reapers and transplanters, which would reduce time and labour cost in rice production and would help increase yields, reduce poverty and to ensure food security.

"The equipment grant is just a small component-the project has introduced many agriculture technologies and best practices such as the Urea Deep Placement (UDP) to ensure farmers get high turnover," he explained.

Source: Ghana Web

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