Koforidua, June 23, GNA - Thirty small-scale farmers drawn from the Ga East and Pru in the Greater Accra and Brong-Ahafo Regions respectively on Thursday ended a three-day capacity workshop on agricultural policies.

The workshop was organized by the Ecumenical Association for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development (ECASARD) and aimed at educating the participants on agricultural policies.

These are Comprehensive African Agricultural Development (CAADP), Food and Agriculture Sector Development Policy (FASDEP 11) and Medium Term Agricultural Sector Investment Plan (METASSIP).

Ms Nancy Ayesua Otu of ECASARD said at the Maputo Declaration and adoption of CAADP in 2003, African leaders declared to commit at least 10 percent of the national budget to agriculture.

She said as a result budgetary allocation to agriculture in Ghana had increased steadily from 5.6 percent in 2005 to 8.5 percent in 2008. Ms Otu said the government of Ghana formulated such policies as FASDEP and METASSIP in order to implement the agricultural policies. She said as a result of that ECASARD had commissioned a project,

"Strengthening the capacity of Small -Scale Farmers on agricultural policies for engagement with policy makers at the local government level".

Dr King Amoah, National Co-ordinator, ECASARD, said the project aimed at assessing the level of awareness of farmers' knowledge on the CAADP and Ghana agricultural policies, FASDEP 11 and METASSIP.