Atiavi farmers receive training in bee-keeping

Farmer groups’ leaders from Atiavi in the Keta District have received training in bee-keeping and agro-forestry at a one day’s workshop to enhance their livelihood.

The training programme which was jointly organised by “Trees for the Future” and “Save our Soils Organisation”, both non-governmental organisations (NGOs), would help diversify the income source of the farmers and adapt to the impact of climate change.

Mr George Ansah, Assistant Programme Director, Trees for the Future, Ghana, urged the farmers to appreciate bee-keeping as an important agribusiness that can generate income during the dry season.

The farmers, who were taken through agribusiness skills, cost analysis and record-keeping were urged to improve on their farm businesses with the knowledge acquired.

Mr Lovans Owusu-Takyi, Director of Trees for the Future in Ghana, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said his organisation was committed to improving the livelihood of small holder farmers in Ghana through the promotion of agro-forestry, sustainable land management.

He said the farmers were advised to engage in the restoration of degraded lands and income generating enterprises such as bee-keeping, snail farming, mushroom, rabbitry, grasscutter and agro-processing.

Mr Owusu-Takyi advised the farmers to reduce the use of toxic agro-chemicals and insecticides on farms to preserve bee life.

He urged them to adopt the use of more ecologically sustainable and organic farming methods since the over dependence on chemicals in farming has adverse effects on biodiversity.

He emphasised the importance of bee-keeping adding, bees help in pollination of crops, improving crop yield as well as producing honey which is very essential in nutrition, health and economic development.

Miss Kimberly Jones, an American Peace Corps Volunteer in Atiavi, said she would build the capacity of the farmers to be able to utilise the knowledge they had received and help them source for funding through proposals to upscale the bee-keeping project in the area.

Mr Winfred Habada, Director of Save our Soils Organisation, expressed gratitude to the Trees for the Future and Peace Corps for their support to the Atiavi community

Source: GNA

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