The Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA), has donated 69 corn shellers to the Regional and District Directors of Agriculture within the SADA zone as part of its contribution towards the 2014 National Farmers’ Day celebration.

The five regions under the SADA zone that would benefit from the donation are Northern, Upper East and Upper West including parts of Brong Ahafo and Volta Regions.

Mr Sulley Adam, Board Member of SADA presented the equipment to Alhaji Mohammed Muniru Limuna, Northern Regional Minister in the presence of Regional Directors of Agriculture from the beneficiary regions in Tamale on Friday.

Mr Adam said the corn shellers form part of the inputs SADA used to support agriculture modernisation adding: “The corn shellers will reduce the drudgery that farmers’ go though in thrashing maize.”

He said: “The interesting part of the supply of these corn shellers is the fact that they are being produced locally in fulfilment of the mandate of promoting local businesses.”

He said so far, SADA had supplied more than 270 tractors to its operational jurisdiction while through the Authority’s support, more than 18,000 hectares of maize were cultivated by farmers in 2013.

Alhaji Limuna, who handed over the equipment to the Regional Directors of Agriculture, spoke about post-harvest losses saying it remains a challenge to the agriculture sector.

He expressed hope that the equipment would ensure early processing of maize to prevent post-harvest losses to facilitate increased income for farmers.