3 Enhanced Farmers’ Access to Improved Technology
2.4.3.1Access to Improved Agriculture Technology and Extension Services
Estimated farmer population for NJNMA is 16,249 comprising of 13,977 males and 2,272 females. Hence, the average AEA – Farmer ratio is 1:700.
Table 2.14: Access to Agriculture Technology and Extension Services
| Indicator | Target | 2022 | 2023 | |
| 1. Number of improved Technology demonstrated to farmers: | Livestock | 5 | 2 | 3 |
| Fisheries | – | – | – | |
| Crop | 10 | 2 | 10 | |
| Others | 2 | 1 | ||
| Area (acres) under improved Technology demonstrated to farmers: | Livestock | 2 | ||
| Fisheries | – | |||
| Crop | 0.5 acres | 5 acres | 0.7 acres | |
| 2. Extension Agent-farmer ratio | 1: 500 | 1;700 | 1: 700 | |
| 3. Total number of farmers participating in demonstrations | Male | 80 | 55 | |
| Female | 25 | 27 | ||
| 4. Number of FBOs trained in extension services delivery | 5 | |||
Source: DAD, 2023
- Farmer Based Organizations
From the table above, a total Table 2.15: Number of Farmer Based Organizations
| Type of FBOs | 2022 | 2023 | ||||
| 2022 | 2023 | Male | Female | Male | Female | |
| Crops | 7 | 10 | 132 | 51 | 180 | 108 |
| Livestock | 2 | 3 | 124 | 63 | 18 | 19 |
| Fisheries | – | – | – | – | ||
| Others (Processors)
|
4
|
6 | 69
|
21
|
39 | 66 |
| Total | 13 | 19 | 325 | 135 | 237 | 193 |
Source: DAD, 2023
Analysis
The number of FBOs within the Municipal saw an increase compared to same quarter last year. Out of the 19 total FBOs recorded, 2 are women groups whom are into processing.
| Sensitization with FBOs within the Municipality |
2.4.3.3 Beneficiaries of Technologies Demonstrated
The following demonstrations on maize, cassava, cabbage and piggery were carried out in this quarter. The idea is to help farmers acquire higher yields through proper pre-harvest measures (preparation of disease-free planting materials), good soil management, practice Climate Smart Agriculture, and obtain higher yields that will ensure good marketing.
Table2.16: Beneficiaries of crop technologies demonstrated
| No | Type of crop 2022 | Type of crop 2023 | List of technology 2022 | List of technology | Target | Males | Females | Total | % female
(2023) |
||||
| 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | |||||
| 1 | Cabbage | Maize
|
Good nursery management | Use of organic fertilizer
|
120 | 50 | 83 | 25 | 11 | 13 | 94 | 38 | 34 |
| 2 | Plantain | Cassava
|
Paring in plantain to acquire disease-free sucker setts
|
Planting of improved varieties.
|
120 |
50 |
72 |
15 |
14 |
5
|
86 | 20 | 25 |
| 3 | Okra | Cabbage | Climate Smart using soil conservation | Proper nursery management. | 120 | 50 | 85 | 8 | 10 | 2 | 95 | 10 | 20 |
| 4 | Maize & vegetables | Kiddie demos on GAPs and Soil Management | 160 | 92 | 13 | 105 | |||||||
Source: DAD, Field Activity, 2023
Analysis
The following technologies were exhibited to farmers; planting of maize using organic fertilizer (Esefort), planting of improved cassava varieties (IFAD, Bankye Hemaa & Mena Yaa) and proper nursery management.
| Some demonstrations been exhibited to farmers |
Fig 4:
2.4.3.4 Demonstrations conducted
Table2.17: Number and types of demonstration conducted
| New Juaben North | No. of Demonstrations conducted | Type of demonstration | Beneficiaries | |||||
| Male | Female | |||||||
| 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | |
| 5 | 3 | Crop demonstrations | Crop demonstrations | 391 | 47 | 57 | 20 | |
| 2 | 1 | Animal demonstrations | Animal demonstrations | 127 | 8 | 41 | 7 | |
Source: DAD, Field Activity, 2023
Analysis
In total, 4 demonstrations were conducted in both crop and animal production to propagate technologies to farmers. These technologies are; using organic fertilizer (Esefort) to cultivate maize, planting of improved cassava varieties (IFAD, Bankye Hemaa & Mena Yaa), proper nursery management in cabbage and proper housing for pig production.
Fig 5: Various demonstrations exhibited to farmers
2.4.3.4 Extension home and farm visit
Table2.18: Number of extension home and farm visits conducted.
| District | 2022
Number of Visit |
2022 | 2023
Number of Visit |
2023 | ||||
| Total | Male | Female | Total | Male | Female | |||
| NJNM | 672 | 4,360 | 2,984 | 1376 | 920 | 3,441 | 2,087 | 1,354 |
Analysis
From the table above, 7 AEAs undertook 920 Home & Farm visits with 3,441 farmers reached in the quarter under review. There was an increase in visits made but however the number of farmers visited for 2023 decreased as against 2022 same quarter due to the compulsory retirement of an AEA.
Table 2.19: Farmers adopting improved technologies
| District | Type of Technology adopted | Male | Female | |||
| 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | |
| NJNM | Mulching | 23 | 8 | |||
| Good record keeping | 19 | 5 | ||||
| Scouting of FAW | 34 | 12 | ||||
| Row planting | 18 | 6 | ||||
Source: DAD, Field Activity, 2023
Farmers have gradually adopted the following improved technologies; mulching, good record keeping, scouting of FAW and planting of improved seeds.