Farmers in Ghana will be able to tap into income-generating opportunities for improved livelihood.

This is spearheaded by the Crops Research Institute of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR-CRI) under the Revenue Diversification pathways in Africa through bio-based and circular Agricultural Innovations (DIVAGRI) project.

The four-year EU-sponsored project launched in 2021 aims to increase the productivity, income and economic opportunities of subsistence and smallholder farmers in arid and semi-arid regions of Sub-Saharan Africa.

It will take place through the implementation of state-of-the-art bio-based innovation that will improve agricultural production, enable diversification of crops and increase added-value, create environmental, social, and economic sustainability, and generate new local economic opportunities.

During a meeting at the Crops Research Institute, Fumesua, the farmers were exposed to technologies such as SLECI Irrigation technology, ethnobotanical and intercropping and multifunctional constructed Wetlands.

Others are biorefinery for biogas and biochar, black soldier fly production and mushroom production.

The Director of the Crops Research Institute, Dr Moses Mochiah was happy the project serves as a portal for effective utilization of some of the technologies birthed by the Institute.

The principal investigator of the project, Dr Shadrack Kwadwo Amponsah is optimistic the project will lead to the establishment of a knowledge exchange platform.

“Farmers have the knowledge but they lack the technical know-how to harness the knowledge. Together we plan to set up a knowledge exchange platform so that farmers can come and learn how to diversify their revenues,” he said.