Agric Ministry’s ESRF project makes progress

The Ghanaian government’s Emergency Support to Rural Livelihoods & Food Systems Exposed to COVID-19 (ESRF) project has celebrated its successes in a Lessons Learnt Workshop held at the Miklin Hotel in Kumasi, Ashanti Region.

The project, which was implemented to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 and climate change on smallholder farmers and food systems, has achieved significant milestones in its efforts to support rural livelihoods.

The project is expected to close in August 2024 and February 2025 respectively.

The workshop aimed to collect, consolidate, and document lessons learned from the implementation of the project. The goal is to make this knowledge accessible to current and future interventions facing similar challenges.

Speaking at the workshop, Dr. Hayford Baah-Adade, the National Project Coordinator of ESRF, highlighted the project’s achievements, which include the supply of personal protective equipment (PPEs) and COVID-19 sensitization to over 26,700 farmers, provision of improved seeds and fertilizers to over 24,782 farmers, and cash transfers to over 4,790 vulnerable smallholder farmers.

The project also supported the training of value chain actors on structured market systems, provision of e-extension services to farmers, and the construction of boreholes, water harvesting schemes, and produce drying platforms. Additionally, the project constructed 33 kilometres of farm tracks and supported food surveillance activities in 60 districts.

The success of the ESRF project demonstrates the government’s commitment to supporting Ghana’s rural livelihoods and food systems.

The project’s achievements serve as a model for future interventions aimed at mitigating the impacts of COVID-19 and climate change on agriculture and food security.

Dr. Baah-Adade expressed gratitude to stakeholders, including IFAD, MoFA Directorates, District and Regional Departments of Agriculture, FAO, WFP, GIDA, CWSA, and ESRF Staff, for their contributions to the project’s success.

He announced that selected consultants will conduct Endline and Project Closure Reports as part of the closing activities.