Rural Farmers – Ghana

The Rural Farmers Project supplies rural farmers in Karaga district with tree seedlings and offers training to engage farmers in tree planting with the view to help conserve the environment, raise income levels, and ensure food security amongst rural farmers. The Karaga district of Ghana is characterised by the Savannah grassland which is poor in nutrients and therefor a key part of the Rural Farmers Project is training people in preparing compost manure to add value to the soil.

Mango, cashew, teak, and acacia seedlings are raised and grafted which are then distributed to community members. The community members receive training and orientation on the application of best practices and management procedures including grafting, pest and disease control and planting process.

After 5 years, the nursery becomes self-financing as mangoes and cashews are sold and the acacia and teak are harvested for firewood and electricity poles. There remains a long waiting list of farmers wishing to enrole in this scheme which has seen a steady expansion rate and our partners BIADA who manage the project are hoping to continue supporting training of rural farmers.