CRIS Trains 90 Farmers in Climate Smart Cashew Plantation in Dakompilayiri & Kunkuya

Centre for Rural Improvement Services (CRIS) – a Non-Governmental Organization based in Damongo in the West Gonja Municipal of the Savannah Region has trained 90 farmers in Climate smart Cashew Plantation Strategies under its Farmer Field schools( FFS) program.

The beneficiary farmers who were drawn from the two communities in Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District of the Savannah Region also received support under the project to invest in Integrated Climate Smart Cashew Plantation.

Under the Farmer Field School which is a farmer-centered and participatory approach to learning various farming practices, farmers are organized into groups to meet regularly with their facilitators to observe, talk, ask questions and learn together.

It is sometimes called, “School without Walls” geared towards equipping the farmers with a lot of practical experiences and also used in Non Farm Income Generation activities such as handicraft.

A total of 1600 cashew seedlings were supplied to the farmers with full ploughing cost for 15 hectors of farm land under the project to empower the farmers into more production.

The Zonal Agric Extension Officer, Mr. Hakim Seidu who led the training took the farmers through various stages of Climate Resilient Strategies and good Agroforestry practices and encouraged them to take advantage of the support package provided under the project to increase their production and promote climate resilience.

The Executive Director for the Centre for Rural Improvement Services (CRIS), Mr.Amos Mahama said the farmers must be smart in exploring the various climatic conditions towards sustainable cashew production and livelihood enhancement.

He stressed the importance of Cashew production in enhancing the economic livelihood of the people of the area, adding that, Cashew production has become a viable alternative for climate conservation and livelihood improvement in rural areas.

The enthusiastic farmers, who were elated about the intervention thanked CRIS and its partners(UNDP), Small Grants Global Environmental Facility  (SGP GEF) for coming to their aid with such a timely project.

They said the project in the long run, was going to change the economic and livelihood fortunes of farmers in the beneficiary communities, whilst conserving the climate for sustainable future use

By Ananpansah Bartholomew Abraham