Wa, March 1, GNA - Farmers working under the Northern Ghana Food Security Resilience Project (NGFSRP) have appealed to the Meteorological Service to provide them with weather data.

"An appropriate weather forecast in the local languages on radio stations on regular basis would help farmers to know areas to cultivate their crops and the type of crops to cultivate," the farmers said. They therefore called on the Meteorological Services Department to make weather data available to farmers' organizations. The farmers comprising agricultural district directors, agro-chemica= l dealers, seed producers, farm inputs suppliers, traditional authorities and peasant farmers made the appeal at a day's review meeting of NGFSRP in Wa= on Monday.

The farmers appealed to agricultural scientists and other organisations to train farmers on composite manure production rather than relying on fertilizers the cost of which is high and sometimes not availabl= e at the time it is needed. The farmers also suggested the development of local plant preparations as chemicals to fight pests rather than the use of chemicals.

The farmers said agricultural extension service delivery was not the best in the country and called for the involvement of development partners to strengthen the service.

Under the NGFSRP farmers from seven districts in the Upper West and Northern regions are benefiting from the projects. Dr William Yaw Kpakpo, ADRA-Ghana Country Director, said the Europea= n Commission funded the project with 1.03 million Euros and it would last for only 20 months of which 14 months had already been spent.

He said the European Union provided 90 per cent and Adventist Development and Relief Agency ADRA- UK also provided 10 percent of the fund which is being implemented by ADRA-Ghana in partnership with ADRA-UK. Mr. Isaac Kankan-Boadu, Project Manager of NGFSRP, said in January 2010, 73.2 tons of improved seeds of maize, groundnuts and soyabean and 1,092.5 tons of fertilizers were distributed to farmers while 7,887 acres o= f land were also ploughed in more than 179 communities across the districts. He said more than 8,500 farmers were trained in group formation, development and dynamics, crop value chain, farming as a business, and improved crop production practices. Some 7,066 farmers were also trained in harvesting and post harvest handling technologies while arrangement had been made to link farmers to input dealers, buyers and financial institutions to ensure sustainability o= f project benefits.

Farmers' yields increased by 300-400 per cent and the farmers are hap= py for the yields they had produced last year. Mr. Kankan-Boadu said the Project had also catered for the vulnerable people and about 40 per cent of women, including widows and the blind participated. He said 950.1 tons had been collected from farmers as Pay-back and establishment of revolving fund in the communities.