The District Agricultural Development Unit is geared towards ensuring food security all year round and develop a vibraint local economy, through  engineered private sector  Agriculture plays important roles in the socio-economic development of the Talensi District.  

It contributes to ensuring food security, provides employment and incomes for most of the people. Economic activities in the district depend very much on it. It is the main source of employment and counts for 55% of Local Gross Domestic Product.

Major Challenges 

Short and erratic  rainfall

Inadequate feed and water for animals during the long dry season

Prevalence of pests and diseases

Poor farm enterprise initiative

Declining soil fertility

Bush burning and indiscriminate felling of trees

Seasonal  migration of youth urban areas

Low prices for agricultural produce

Under developed road network to food producing areas

Low crop and livestock productivity

High mortality of livestock (NCD, PPR, Anthrax feed water),

High post harvest loses

Food insecurity

Weak producer organisations

Inadequate extension/technical staff

Poor logistic support

Inefficient marketing system

Limited irrigation facilities

High rate of illiteracy

Encroachment on farmlands by mining

Poor intermediate transport facilities

Few alternative livelihoods

District Agricultural Development Unit (DADU)

Agriculturally the district is divided into three zones. Each zone is also subdivided into operational areas with each operational area being manned by one agricultural extension agent (AEA). There are other technical staff that perform only veterinary and enumeration duties.

There are district officers for the various sub-sectors of agriculture namely crops, livestock, agricultural engineering, extension and WIAD. These officers together with the AEAs constitute the field services. Other district officers are for veterinary and MIS. The district director coordinates the work of the DADU.

Crop Production

The main crops cultivated by farmers during the rainy season are:
Cereals: Millet, Sorghum, Rice, Maize Legumes: Groundnuts, Cowpea, Soyabean, Bambara beans Vegetables: Tomato, Pepper, Okro, Garden Eggs, Leafy Vegetables Tubers: Sweet Potato, Frafra Potato

Rain-fed Agriculture

The main farming system in the district is rain fed mixed cropping. The crop mixture is mostly cereal-cereal but occasionally have a cereal-legume mixture.
The types of crop mixture are:

1.     Early millet/sorghum

2.     Early millet/late millet

3.     Early millet/Sorghum/Local beans

The leguminous crops, maize and rice are normally cropped sole. Land preparation is mostly by bullocks and the hoe. However tractor is also used.

The major maize producing areas in the district are Pwalugu, Balaungu, Sabaya, Nangodi and Sekoti. The major rain fed rice-producing area is Winkongo, Pelungu, Nangodi, Sekoti, Zanlerigu, Sheaga, Datuku/Kulpelga and Tongo. 

Crop Yield

Crop yields vary greatly depending on:
The farming system practised
The land preparation methods used
The location of the farm (Compound or bush)

Additional causes however are climate, soil, input use and the level of intercropping. Average yields of the major staples under rainfed conditions in the district compared to the average yield for Upper East Region and the achievable yield as shown below indicate that district yield are very low compared to the potential for the various crops.

Dry Season Farming

Dry season farming activities in the district are carried out mainly at the rehabilitated dam sites, river banks and valley bottoms. The total area currently available at the rehabilitated/constructed sites for dry season activities stands at 60 Ha

There exists a huge potential for pump irrigation along the banks of the White and red Volta which could make available over 900Ha for irrigation. Crops cultivated under dry season irrigation include tomatoes, pepper, onion, okro, leafy vegetables, watermelon, and maize. A scheme to promote 

Currently dry season vegetable production takes place at the following sites in the district. Dasabligo, Zanlerigu, Winkongo, Pusu Namongo, Baare, Nkunzea/Nangodi, Pwalugu (White Volta), Kongo valleys, Pelungu valleys, Zua-Nakpalig, Zua-Nafung, Zua-Soliga, Tindongo valleys, Winkongo valleys.

Currently the district has eight (8) serviceable tractors which when managed properly could meet the land preparation requirements of the district. However additional tractors could increase area put under cultivation as well as the timeliness of land preparation.

Livestock and Poultry

Apart from crop production, livestock and poultry rearing is the second most important feature in agricultural development. Almost all farmers are engaged in the rearing of at least one type of livestock and poultry. Livestock serves as a good source of income for farmers especially when there is crop failure. Production is largely at the subsistence level. The livestock reared include poultry (guinea fowls, fowls, ducks, and turkeys), cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and donkeys.