Due to the successes achieved in Phase 1, a new round of funding received from ICCO and EU to:
1. Build the FBO structure into a formidable one capable of playing its’ roles in the commodity values chains established.
2. Upscale production of the value chain commodities for higher incomes for farmers
Hence FAMAR project phase 2 started in January, 2008 and ends December, 2011. It is a 4-year project.
The project Goal
To increase significantly the Standards of living of some 15,000 rural households in the three Northern Regions in Ghana by the end of the project period.
To achieve the above objective, four key result areas are being targeted:
1. Agricultural production per farmer (productivity) of targeted farmers to increase by 33% through.
- Improved farmer skills
- Access to Credit and Savings opportunities
- Access to fertile land by women
2. Targeted farmers are organized in viable, gender balanced FBO’s at three levels and have thereby secured fair trade for their products.
Development of viable FBO’s at local, district and regional levels
- Development of supply chain
3. 10,000 Participating farmers (of which 45% women) to have secured reliable and profitable market access
- Support a dependable intermediary
- Support the availability of market information
What have we been doing towards meeting our objectives?
With stations
- Sensitisation of partner stations, farmer groups and local partners on the project
- Evaluation, selection and support of partner stations
- Mobilizing of new groups through ACDEP stations
- Organisation of agronomic training for partner extension staff
- Capacity building of staff to enhance their capacity to implement a market oriented project
With farmers
- Development of farmer group training modules
- Community-based farmer training in various subject areas
- Community sensitization on the need for women to have access to fertile land
- Learning visits to other organizations
- Community, district and regional meetings
- Facilitating linkages to financial institutions
- Field monitoring of farmers’ fields
- Etc
Research and collaboration
- Collaboration with SARI on Sesame trials
- Collaboration with MOFA, DOC and other NGOs for synergies
WHAT HAVE WE ACHIEVED SO FAR?
FBO development
For 2010, the number of farmers and FBOs hooked on the project has increased tremendously as indicated in the figures below:
About 20% of the primary FBOs have registered with Department of Cooperatives (DOC) while some 30% are at various stages of the registration process.
Eleven secondary FBOs have been set up and are functioning effectively at the 11 stations
The tertiary level FBOs have set up in all the three regions with interim executives in place.
Yield improvements
Over 80% of farmers are adopting recommended agronomic practices and this has resulted in significant increase in yields for soya.
Access to market
Over 10000 farmers have signed contracts to supply soya and sorghum for the 2010 farming season. Farmers do not only supply but they also negotiate fair prices. Previous years supplies are indicated in the figure below:
Selected impacts
- Farming is being seen as a business instead of a way of life
- Farmers incomes have improved resulting in better nutrition, health care, school enrolment, means of transport , housing etc
- Men and women are beginning to appreciate each others role in society especially in the farming system and decisions are taken in consultation with each other
- Democratic decision making is practiced among FBO members especially in selecting leaders
- SFMC continues to be the only marketing company in Northern Ghana providing guarantee market outlet to both FAMAR farmers and other farmers outside
- Linkage with banks has resulted in increased credit access by farmers with excellent repayments
Key Challenges
- The FBO development is not growing as fast as hoped for especially the secondary and tertiary levels.
- Insufficient effective FBO leaders to accelerate the weaning process of FBO development from FAMAR
- Yields remain low compared to targets
- Groundnut value chain is difficult develop