FARMERS RECORD INCREASE IN CROP YIELD AFTER APPLYING NEEM EXTRACT (PAGE 18)

BARELY two-and-a-half years after the introduction of the neem tree extract technology in selected farming communities in the Northern Region, farmers are now recording minimal post harvest losses and increases in crop yield.
At a recent evaluation of the new initiative at Kpilo in the Tolon-Kumbungu District, beneficiary farmers stated that the initiative proved successful after they used the extracts to store their foodstuffs.
The farmers also observed that pests such as weevils that usually fed on grains when they were stored, was now a thing of the past.
According to them, until recently, they could not store their farm produce on a sustainable basis while the application of compost manure to help increase yield was their greatest challenge.
“I have gained a lot from using this new initiative and I thank the facilitators of the programme for increasing our knowledge; in fact, I am happy to be part of this and hope my colleagues in other parts of the country would do the same to enhance food security in the country”, one of the farmers stated.
The initiative, which is a more cost-effective way of reducing post harvest losses, was introduced by the African Farm Radio Research Initiative (AFRRI), an international non-governmental organisation after a series of researches into the uses of neem extract.
The initiative was supported by the AFRRI partners like Simli FM, a community radio station at Dalun in the Northern Region, Radio Afram Plains, RAP FM in Donkorkrom,Volta Star Radio in Ho, Classic FM in Techiman, and Radio Ada.
The beneficiary communities are Bihinayili, Kpilo, Tali Zonayili and Ta Kpeli.
The National Research Co-ordinator of the AFRRI and the Research Assistants, Messrs Benjamin Fiafor and Wellington Amankwa Mpeniasah, respectively, said the evaluation was to help assess the effectiveness of radio campaigns on the use of the neem tree extracts over a six-month period.
According to them, the initiative was a three-and-a-half year programme aimed at measuring the effectiveness of radio communications in improving agricultural productivity and assisting rural communities to address their food security challenges.
The researchers further stated that there would be an outcome evaluation later where standard questionnaires would be distributed to farmers in their respective houses to assess the impact of the initiative on individual basis.
The Station Head of Simli Radio, Madam Lydia Ajono, observed that the six-month campaign on the use of neem tree extract through the radio, proved successful.
According to her, strategies like community participatory radio production format, which involved focus group discussions among beneficiary farmers, were used to assess the impact of the initiative.
“The feedback was good as we realised that few women farmers had knowledge of how to produce neem extract”, she stated.
The station head further said the monitoring and feedback mechanism, follow-up monthly visits to farmers’ fields, among other strategies, showed that many women had started producing neem oil for medicinal purposes as well as for storage of their grains.
She announced that Simli Radio had so far produced 24 programmes, including jingles on the new initiative.