Techiman (B/A), April 5, GNA - Dr. King David Amoah, National Coordinator of Ecumenical Association for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development (ECASARD), has reaffirmed that, the Association would continue to reinforce and enhance the efforts of its members through networking.

This, he said, would embrace the strengthening of Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development (SARD) activities through gender sensitive networking, capacity building and advocacy as well as collaborating with other stakeholders.

Dr. Amoah was speaking at a five-day residential workshop for 45 farmer- groups drawn from Ashanti and Brong Ahafo regions. The workshop, organised by ECASARD and sponsored by the Netherlands

Development Organization was meant to expose the farmers through communication skills, leadership training, team building and gender awareness, as well as gender analysis.

Dr. Amoah said the objective of ECASARD had been formulated to promote co-operation and partnership among members and with other stakeholders to enhance increased food production and rural poverty reduction.

The National Coordinator stressed that by the end of the next two years, ECASARD was expected to develop by attracting more funding from donor agencies, saying that, farmers' unions would be established at the grassroots.

He urged the farmers to establish demonstration farms, using organic farming methods, which would be supported with funds by ECASARD. Nana Kwaw Adams, National Chairman of ECASARD stated that the Association would ensure the implementation of activities that would lead to the realization of their vision of the network.

Nana Adams, who is also the Twafohene of Forikrom and Executive Director of Abrono Organic Farming Programme said ECASARD was also organizing assessment exercises to equip its members to be able to serve and to reflect on their individual organizations to enable them know their strengths and weaknesses.

Mr Emmanuel Mensah, Brong Ahafo Regional Chairman of ECASARD commended the organizers for updating their skills towards sustainable agriculture and appealed for more of such workshops.