Ghana Districts: A repository of all Local Assemblies in Ghana

AGRICULTURE

2022 Best Female Farmer urges women to venture into large scale farming

The 2022 Best Female Farmer in the Eastern Region and also the Chairperson of Ghana Association of Female in Agriculture, Ernestina Osei-Tutu, has called on Ghanaian women farmers to move from smallholder farming to commercial agriculture.

Date Created : 10/16/2023 12:00:00 AM : Story Author : Afua Yeboah/Ghanadistricts.com

Being the chairperson of an association that aimed at giving a voice to women in agriculture at the national level, she said large-scale farming would enable them to make profits and also contribute more to the socio-economic development of the country.

"In smallholder farming, there is not much money in it. This is because their farms are small, so they are unable to get the impact that they need of agriculture," she said

Madam Ernestina Osei-Tutu who was speaking in an interview with Ghanadistricts TV team on the Akuafo Mmre show during a visit to her farms in Tenkong in the Akuapem North Municipality also urged women in farming to change their mentality of seeing themselves among the least in the society and rather know that they have a role to play in the development of Ghana.

Madam Ernestina was, however, of the view that irrespective of their important role in the society, women's access to finance was constrained by obstacles such as insufficient collateral for a bank loan, lack of bank accounts, low financial literacy and a fear of not being able to repay their loan.

“Without finance, women in the agricultural value chain lose opportunities to grow their businesses and this affects their potential incomes and livelihoods.”

She advised women in farming to embrace the second phase of the Planting for Food and Jobs initiative, which she said was tailored towards commercial farming.

There will be opportunities for women to take advantage of especially the youth,” she added

She also encouraged the women and the youth to enter into processing, marketing and other chains of the agricultural process.