Report on training and training-related activities for designated FBOS in West Mamprusi district for phase 3 stage 1, 7th December to 2009 to 21st January 2010

Abstract

A six-week training course was carried out for the Tisuntaaba Farmers Group in the community of Loagri No.1 in the West Mamprusi District of the Northern Region of Ghana. Tisuntaaba farmers group was one of the ten (10) farmer groups Food Research Institute trained. The training was based on the development of Business Capacity of the farmers and some of the subject areas discussed included the following MCA Ghana Program–economic growth and poverty reduction, FBOs group formation and strengthening, rural development and commercialization, Business vision through a value chain lens, a short primer on leadership, governance and management, developing business expansion strategies, developing the action Agenda, driving the organization change and action business plan. The objective of the commercial development of farmer based organization was to change the mindset of farmers so that they do farming as a business rather than the subsistence farming which they currently practice. Mr. Elvis Baidoo was the trainer for the Tisuntaaba group and was assisted by an interpreter Mr. Abukari who is an opinion leader in Loagri No.1 and has gone through the CDFO training with his group Suguru Viela in the same community. The training venue was one of the classrooms of the Roman Catholic Primary School, Loagri. Training Needs Assessment of Tisuntaaba farmers group was performed to identify the gaps in the farmers’ commercial knowledge. The Tisuntaaba farmer based organization is made up of fifty-one (51) members made of of forty-two (42) men and nine (9) women. Some challenges faced by the trainer are dusty roads to the training center from Walewale and the unfavorable weather conditions due to harmattan. Members of Tisuntaaba FBO were certain that they would gain knowledge through the training and also to access credit to do farming. The farmers were motivated to attend the training because of the information they had from the MOFA staff and members of other farmer based organizations that have been trained previously. The farmers treasured the knowledge they acquired and were grateful for the training on Commercialization of their farming because they were highly optimistic that it will help increase their production and profitability in their farming business