Vegetable farmers of the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA) Municipality in the Central Region of Ghana have expressed excitement for their knowledge gained on biochar-coal-compost technology.

The practice is a modern way of farming, introduced by the School of Agriculture of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) following a research carried out by Dorcas Blankson, a Doctorial Student trained under the DANIDA sponsored FeuitBunch Project.

The technology seeks to offer farmers bountiful harvest with its resilience to climate change, intense crop disease and pest amid its ability of moisturizing and nourishing the land with the requisite nutrients needed for the growth of planted seedlings.

The practice deals with the use of empty food bunch (EFB), otherwise known as organic compost and biochar, which is the use of charcoal as soil conditioner.

The farmers following their delight on the knowledge acquired, were offered hands-on practicals on the biochar-coal-compost technology through a training program facilitated by the UCC School of Agric and the Department of Soil Science in partnership with the Municipal Department of Agric of KEEA.

Farmers were taken through phases of training for weeks on how to put the technology into use at UCC, before a demonstration on how to practice the technology was showcased on the project's demo-field at Ankaful along with other exciting farming methods, where the biochar-coal-compost proved superior.

Dubbed 'increasing small holder vegetable farmers resilience to climate change,' the training is a DANIDA (Danish Government) sponsored project with tertiary institutions like the University of Cape Coast, University of Ghana and the Aarhus University of Denmark as coordinators.

In the midst of the present global climate challenges which sort to dent the harvest of farmers, the technology introduced seeks to create a sustainable avenue for farmers to grow seedlings and cultivate bountifully no matter the weather condition.

Dr. Alexander Tetteh Kwasi Nuer, Senior Researcher to the project, a Senior Lecturer and an Agribusiness Expert at the Dept. of Agricultural Economics and Extension ( Sasakawa Centre) of UCC implored farmers to adopt the technology introduced and embrace subsequent ones to be invented by the University, since the institution is there to offer knowledge to improve agriculture in the country.

The Sasakawa Centre is mandated to lead such dissemination of research findings, as well as coordinate the farmer field demonstrations.

Dr. Kofi Atiah, a Soil Fertility and Plant Nutritionist and a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Soil Science at the UCC School of Agriculture, beseeched beneficiary farmers of the project to introduce the new farming practice acquired to colleague farmers for them to also reap of the benefit from biochar-coal-compost.

Vegetable farmers of KEEA who received of the technology, showered praises on facilitators of the training and encouraged other farmers to adopt the practice over the enoumous benefit they stand to recoup of the technology.

The Municipal Director of Agric for KEEA, Ms. Victoria Dansowaa Abankwa uncovered her outfit's unflinching readiness to embrace whatever technology the school of Agric  of UCC  and its partners seek to introduce to help enhance agriculture at the Municipality.

The eggplants used were mainly screened by and as a climate resistant crop by the crops science department at UCC, led by Prof. Michael Osei Adu.

Sompaonline.com//Eric Annan