Wa, Sept. 4, GNA- Canadian International Development Assistance (CIDA) has started a project, known as Farmer Response Mechanism Extension Research (FARMER) geared towards promoting linkages between researchers and farmers to promote food security in Northern Ghana. The project, which will cover the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions, has been designed to ensure availability, accessibility and acceptability of the various foodstuffs produced by farmers in the three regions.

Mr Abdus-Sallam Suali, Upper West Regional Co-ordinator of FARMER made this known at the inauguration of a 13-member Research, Extension Linkages Committee (RELC) for the region at Wa on Wednesday. The Committee which has the Regional Director of Agriculture as Chairman includes, the Director of Savannah Agricultural Research Institute, representatives of farmers, District Directors of Agriculture in the region, Regional Co-ordinating Council, Technoserve and the Department of Co-operatives.

The Committee is with planning and overseeing implementation and evaluation of On-farm Adaptive Research, strengthen linkages among stakeholders and source funds for the implementation of its activities. Mr Suali described the food security situation in the three regions as precarious.

According to him, out of a total population of about 3.3 million people, 2.7 million live in deprived conditions in rural areas in spite of their huge potential as the breadbasket of the country. Mr Daniel Nyankamawu, the Regional Co-ordinating Director inaugurated the committee and urged the members to look at the possibility of linking up with industries to find a solution to past harvest losses.

Mr Nyankamawu said research findings should take cognisance of the large pool of unemployed people to ensure that their application created room to absorb the large labour force in the three regions. 04 Sept. 03