Over the years, it has moved from subsistence to commercial farming, owing to technological advancement placed at the doorsteps of farmers. 

This practice that was done by cutlasses and hoes and to some extent by animal traction or bullocks has also evolved into the use of tractors, harrowing machines, combined harvesters, which has now been moved to threshing and bagging machines. 

The situation aptly fits into an adage that, “The white man is a witch” in the local parlance.  

The comparison and reference of the white man as a ‘witch’ or wizard is not in the real sense of a witch that we all know or presume in the African system. 

Scenario 

In the Sissala East, specifically around Du East, a threshing machine is actively threshing maize with the assistance of farm workers.  

This machine designed or rather manufactured is doing the work of over 50 people on farms making the work very easy. This has given course to refer to the white man as a witch due to the creativity to assist farmers. 

What is threshing? 

Threshing is the process of separating grains from plants and can be performed in the field or on a threshing floor, using hands, animals, or machinery. 

For large size farms, women involvement in harvesting, loading and carrying almost 20 to 30 kg basins of the corn to the thresher can't be successful without their effort. 

Historically, the traditional method of threshing in the Sissala area involved heaping piles of grains and using sticks to separate the grains, often accompanied by singing from a group of men.  

This method was common for millet and other grains.  

The Sissala enclave is home to thousands of acres of maize and soya fields, with harvesting occurring from November to February, a span of four months that is crucial for feeding both Ghana and beyond. This highlights the necessity for threshers and other machinery in the farming process. 

The thresher automates the harvesting process, significantly reducing the labour involved for farmers.  

Companies 

Notable companies in the Upper West region with franchise Tumu, such as Awo Farms, Jacwaco, Antika, and Farmer Pride, provide essential services to farmers, including master dragon threshers, particularly the B4 and B5 models, which have made harvesting much less laborious.  

These companies also supply grains and other farming inputs at the doorstep of many peasant farmers. 

Farm workers from the Upper East region often prefer to seek employment in sowing and harvesting maize fields in Du East, Kassana, Bujan in Sissala East than traveling to Southern Ghana for 'Kayayee,' or head potting business in urban centers where industries and menial jobs abound. 

For an acre of maize field harvested, Miss Princella Ayambilla, 24-year-old mother of one, who came from a community in Bolga, told the GNA that, “When we come, we work in a group either to sow or harvest.  

“The farmer will send us to the farm, feed us and accommodate us sometimes on the farm. We collect 100 kg of maize in every one acre we harvest. Before we went home after two months, each of us could get 15 bags or more for our family. Its better than travelling to do kayayee in Kumasi or Accra. I worked in about nine farms in months, it’s good”, she said. 

Mr. Issahaku Tordua told the GNA that “I brought two male farm helpers from Sandema in the Upper East Region and the end of harvesting; they get not less than 20 bags each for taking care of the field”.   

While the threshing process requires many hands, it ultimately makes harvesting less strenuous. However, many farmers face challenges due to the high cost of purchasing machinery.  

Cost of threshing 

Current prices for threshers range from GH¢90,000 to GH¢250,000, making it almost impossible for some farmers to acquire. 

Having access to equipment such as tractors, boom sprayers, planters, and threshers can streamline the farming process, helping to feed the nation and advance towards Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG 2), which targets zero hunger by 2030.  

One also has to consider the process of dehusking maize. Questions that may be asked is whether we have considered the process of dehusking and where do the husks go, and what can they be used for?  

Many husks are left on the soil in Sissala, only to be swept away by the harmattan winds and consumed by fire, a situation that will soon be attributed to climate change. 

Dr Roger Kanton, a retired research scientist, at the Savannah Agricultural Research Institute of the Council for Industrial Research said the husk could be used to promote fodder for animal rearing, which should be encouraged during the lean season. 

While Du, Kassana and other parts of the Sissala East boast of arable land for agriculture, the bad road network, poor mobile network connectivity and inadequate health facilities remain a threat to the inhabitants of the areas. 

It is therefore incumbent on government to help construct good roads, provide reliable network connectivity to boost businesses to enhance livelihoods.