Pusu-namongo: The Savanna Agricultural Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR-SARI) has intensified efforts to promote entrepreneurship among smallholder farmers in the Upper East Region. The initiative is part of the 'Sahelian Landscape: Landscape of Opportunities: Widening Proven Furrows (LOGMe II)' project, aiming to transform subsistence agriculture into profitable business ventures.
According to Ghana News Agency, the LOGMe II project is an extension of the successful LOGMe I and is implemented by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It benefits five countries, including Ghana, Burkina Faso, Niger, Benin, and Senegal. The three-year project is funded by the Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security through the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) Global Mechanism. It is part of a broader regional effort to combat land degradation and promote sustainable livelihoods across the five Sahelian countries, which are severely affected by climate change.
In Ghana, the project partners with CSIR-SARI, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, targeting 15 communities in four districts, including Talensi and Builsa South in the Upper East Region, and Sissala East and Jirapa Municipals in the Upper West Region. The LOGMe II project aims to improve livelihoods by combining environmental restoration with entrepreneurship, allowing farmers to become competitive players in the agricultural value chain.
During a training workshop in Pusu-Namongo in the Talensi District, Dr. Iddrisu Yahaya, Principal Investigator of the LOGMe II project and Principal Research Scientist at CSIR-SARI, explained that the initiative is designed to equip farmers with practical business skills to add value to their produce, improve productivity, and access markets more competitively. The project focuses on land restoration and integrates economic empowerment strategies to ensure communities benefit financially while restoring degraded lands.
As part of the training, participants were taught entrepreneurship, Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLA), and group formation to strengthen bargaining power and access to financial support. Dr. Yahaya noted that the training modules were informed by a community assessment involving 545 beneficiaries, 67 percent of whom were women, who expressed interest in improving soil productivity, marketing their produce, and exploring additional income-generating opportunities.
Dr. Bashiru Haruna, a Research Scientist, highlighted the importance of transitioning from subsistence farming to business-oriented agriculture through proper planning and record-keeping. Dr. Abdul Jelil Abukari, a Lecturer at the Tamale Technical University, emphasized customer relations and market access in agribusiness, urging farmers to form cooperatives and leverage digital platforms to promote products and engage with customers.