CSIR-SARI trains farmers on sorghum production to reduce post-harvest losses
Some farmers from eight communities in the Tolon district of the Northern region of Ghana have undergone training on sorghum production to help reduce post-harvest losses often recorded in the area.
The four-day intensive training, held at Nyankpala in the district, was also to sensitise the about 100 participants on harvesting, post-harvest handling and management of sorghum.
This is to enable them to meet international standard for industrial and export purposes.
The training was organised by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (CSIR-SARI), in partnership with May and Lotte International, and sponsored by the Ghana Skills Development Fund.
Mr Kenneth Opare-Obuobi, the Head of Sorghum Improvement Programme at CSIR-SARI, who facilitated the training, said it would enhance the farmers’ understanding and appreciation of the importance of good post-harvest handling in grain sorghum and ultimately increase profit.
Good post-harvest management practices also helped consumers to get access to wider food varieties.
He encouraged the farmers to embrace it as an essential component of sustainable agriculture, which promoted efficient use of resources, reducing waste and maintaining ecosystem services.
Madam Sanatu Abukari, a sorghum farmer from Dimagi, who participated in the training, said it had exposed her to some harvesting techniques such as the use of threshing mat to ensure clean quality grains.
“We used to think that we have to wait until all the grains are ready for harvesting but this training has actually revealed that one can harvest them as they mature to avoid recording losses,” she said.
Participants appealed for support to get modern threshers in the communities to help minimise the losses often recorded.
Similar training was held for farmers in the Sissala East Municipality of the Upper West Region.
GNA
