Rice farmers in the Tolon District of Ghana's Northern Region are set to benefit from the adoption of Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM) technologies, introduced during a field day and demonstration visit organized by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (CSIR-SARI) at Kpalgun.

0

The event highlighted several ISFM techniques, including the use of climate-smart rice varieties such as AGRA and Banse, mineral fertilizer combinations, and good agronomic practices. Farmers observed the AGRA rice variety being evaluated under various mineral fertilizer combinations, compared to traditional methods involving no inputs.Dr.

1

Edwin Akley, Project Manager for CSIR-SARI, lamented the declining soil health and crop yields, saying, “The steady decline in crop yields and soil health over the years has made it difficult for farmers to produce abundant food to feed their families and the country.”He added, “The project is being implemented to help enhance crop production and to improve food and nutrition security.” Dr.

2

Akley also noted that the initiative aims to empower young people to view farming as a profitable business, addressing poverty and unemployment in rural communities.The ISFM initiative forms part of a project titled "Advancing Agriculture through Upscaling of Innovative Soil Health Technologies in Ghana," funded by the AGRA PIATA Consortium.

3

 It targets 50,000 smallholder farmers across 17 districts in the North East, Northern, Upper East, and Upper West Regions, focusing on rice, maize, soybeans, groundnuts, and cowpeas.Abdul Ganiyu Amidu, an Agricultural Extension Officer for the Kpalgun operational area, explained the potential benefits of the program.

4

“Easy access to improved and climate-resilient rice varieties will help farmers boost their production capacity because of the persistent dry spell in the area,” he said. He urged stakeholders to support farmers with quality farm inputs, training, and capacity-building opportunities to fully utilize the technologies.Farmers in the community expressed optimism about the initiative.

5

A local farmer, Sulemana Adam,encouraged others to adopt the innovative practices, saying, “I piloted the variety, and I encourage other farmers to embrace it to help maximize their yields and production.

6

”Another farmer, Madam Iddrisu Memunatu, highlighted the program's impact on women, stating, “The technologies are laudable initiatives, especially for women, as they will help improve our economic resilience and reduce issues of domestic violence, which are often connected to poverty.”

7