Women farmers in the Sekyere Central District of the Ashanti Region have been equipped with mechanised tools to enhance agricultural productivity.

AGRA Ghana and its partners, Agri-Invest Limited and the Kumasi Institute of Tropical Agriculture (KITA), are currently implementing the Strengthening Access to Mechanisation for Agri-Businesses for Enhanced Youth Employment Opportunities project in Jeduako, the district.

The project, which is a component of the Youth Entrepreneurship for the Future of Food and Agriculture (YEFFA) program, is an agricultural mechanisation initiative that is creating new employment pathways for young people while improving farm productivity in the farming community.

Youth in the Ashanti, Upper West, Northern, Bono East and North East Regions are also benefiting from the project.

The project, being implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, also aims to expand access to affordable mechanisation services and financing for youth-led agribusinesses.

During a visit to the Jeduako community, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Agri-Invest Limited, who doubles as the project coordinator, Kofi Kyeremanteng Nyanteng, explained that the intervention has reached 510 beneficiaries in the community, including 350 young people, 70 per cent of whom are women.

He further explained that the initiative connects youth to mechanisation service opportunities, trains them to use simple income-generating tools, and links them to affordable financing options.

Project Coordinator at the Kumasi Institute for Tropical Agriculture (KITA), Ellison Owusu Fordjour, said the project is building beneficiaries' capacities.

It seeks to empower over 3,000 people, including women and youth. As part of the rollout, the project has deployed push planters and handheld shellers to support service provision on the farm.

“At first, I couldn’t feed my family. But since joining the group, I've been getting requests to remove corn from the cobs using the shelling machine. That could earn me about ¢50 for two bags of corn, which I use to feed and support my family,” Rahinatu Hamidu, one of the beneficiaries, explained.

“I also sometimes get requests to plant corn on farmers’ fields using the planter. I could earn ¢200 from working on two acres of field. So, the machines have been very beneficial in helping us earn additional income,” she added.

Rose Amponsah, another beneficiary, said, “The maize shellers have been very beneficial. AGRA has really helped us. Before AGRA brought these machines, we hadn’t seen any before. Previously, it was difficult to obtain equipment for shelling corn.

"You could wait in a queue for like a week and still not have access.”

“Also, I am a hairdresser. When I do not have customers, I spend time shelling maize with the equipment to increase my income. This additional income has discouraged some youth from migrating out of the community,” she added.

Margaret Boateng, also a beneficiary, said, “previously, I couldn’t plant a one-acre field in a day. But the planter is more efficient. And so I can plant an acre of corn in less than a day. These planters are increasing our productivity and reducing our labour costs, thus increasing our profits.”

Patricia Manu, another female farmer who has benefited from the project, said, “Since the youth got this equipment, we have become more efficient in our activities. We can plant an acre of rice in a day.” “

I am uneducated because my mother couldn’t fund our education following the death of our father. So, I’ve been unemployed. But since joining this youth group, I have a job that helps me earn money to buy food. So, we need more of this equipment,” she added.