ASHC meets to discuss media messages to farmers

The Africa Soil Health Consortium (ASHC) and partners have met to discuss ways to produce media messages on Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM) for farmers.

The media messages are to explain new technologies in agriculture including farming practices that enhance the health of the soil to the understanding of farmers to help increase productivity and improve incomes of farmers as well as ensure food security.

ASHC, which is a partnership of research institutions from countries including Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, is a project intended to provide knowledge on ISFM to stakeholders of the agriculture sector especially farmers.

Some of the partners include the Savannah Agricultural Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, University for Development Studies, Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, Ministry of Food and Agriculture.

The ISFM concept deals with issues that have to do with improving the fertility of the soil through the use of not only mineral fertilizer but organic and other fertilizers that help to improve the overall health of the soil.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency at the last day of a three-day right-shop at Nyankpala, near Tamale on Thursday, Madam Jane Frances Asaba, Coordinator of Information and Communication for Development of ASHC, said the right-shop became necessary following declining soil fertility leading to low yields.

Madam Asaba said even though there had been improvement in technology to boost soil fertility, such technologies were not being communicated in the right way for the farmers.

She said further compounding the situation was the myth that some farmers had concerning some of the new technologies and this hindered them and led practices that continued to deplete the nutrients of the soil.

She explained that the right-shop, therefore, sought to address ways to better package the activities of researchers, policy makers, extension officers amongst other relevant stakeholders for the benefit of all especially farmers.

Source: GNA

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