CropLife Ghana and Farm Wallet Enhance Safety Standards for Agri-Input Dealers Through Intensive Workshop

Kumasi: A two-day intensive training workshop has been organised for about 50 agricultural input dealers in the Ashanti Region to deepen their knowledge and enhance their abilities to provide safe and right inputs for farmers. According to Ghana News Agency, the training was put together by CropLife Ghana and Farm Wallet with financial support from the Alliance for Green Revolution for Africa (AGRA). Participants were taken through various critical areas such as identifying counterfeit and illegal pesticides, reading pesticide labels, understanding toxicological bands, pesticide modes of action, and managing empty containers. The workshop also covered essential topics like pest management resistance, integrated pest management, types of pesticides and formulation, as well as the transport and storage of pesticides. Mr. Rashad Kadiri, Executive Director of CropLife Ghana, emphasized the importance of input supply in the agricultural value chain, stating that it is crucial for the success of crop production. M r. Kadiri explained that training is necessary to streamline input supply and delivery systems, which will help agri-input dealers understand the products they distribute and enable them to advise farmers on safe and responsible application, ultimately enhancing production and food security. He highlighted that the training is part of the AGRA Project aimed at promoting rice production, processing, and marketing in Ghana. Furthermore, Mr. Kadiri noted that similar training programs are anticipated to take place in the Northern, Bono, Volta, and Ahafo Regions as part of the AGRA Project's efforts to improve rice production. He added that CropLife has been engaging with various stakeholders, including immigration and customs officers, to ensure the identification and regulation of wholesome agrochemicals and other inputs entering the country. Mr. Adam Mohammed, Chief Executive Officer of Farm Wallet, expressed confidence in the benefits of the training for input dealers, particularly given Farm Wallet's digit al platform, which connects approximately 10,000 farmers in various agricultural transactions. He mentioned that Farm Wallet is transforming the traditional village savings and loans system into a digital format, enabling farmers to collaborate and lend among themselves to support their production efforts.