Project Title

Sustainable Vegetable Production with 150 Smallholder Farmers in Builsa North District

Improving yields and quality of vegetables, as well as sales volumes and income of smallholder vegetable producers in the Builsa North District

The two key objectives of the project are as follows:

  1. Facilitate yield increase of vegetables produced by 150 smallholder farmers to a minimum of 8 tons per hectare (each farmer producing at least a hectare)
  2. Broker marketing arrangements and linkages between smallholders and 3 off-takers
  • Facilitate yield increase of vegetables produced by 150 smallholder farmers to a minimum of 8 tons per hectare:
    • Hire 2 new agronomists to supervise and provide training to farmers
    • Build the capacity of the 2 new agronomists and the Monitoring and Evaluation Coordinator through participation in the HortiFresh Agronomy Training
    • Conduct a baseline study to profile the 150 smallholder farmers, including a database with names, targeted vegetables, location and description of farm
    • Train 150 smallholder farmers on Good Agronomic Practices and Farming as a Business.
    • Contract each individual farmer, which will also stipulate the repayment conditions for pre-financed water pumping machines, fencing material, hybrid seeds, fertilizer and pesticides
    • Distribute and pre-finance water pumping machines, knapsacks and fencing material to 150 vegetable smallholder farmers.
    • Provide and pre-finance suitable hybrid seeds, fertilizer and pesticides in a timely manner to 150 vegetable smallholder farmers (50 for tomato, 50 for cabbage and 50 for pepper).
  • Broker marketing arrangements and linkages between smallholders and off-takers:
    • Sign contracts with 3 three off-takers for the on-sales of vegetables by AFL and Johil.
    • Procure cold storage facilities, harvesting crates and cartons as supporting equipment for AFL and Johil to service the farmers
    • Acquire Ghana Green Label certification for 150 vegetable smallholder farmers.

  • The project will produce the following key deliverables at the end of the implementation period:

    • Contracts with 2 agronomists signed
    • Three off-taker contracts signed for the purchase of vegetables from the smallholders
    • One hundred and fifty smallholder farmers organized and pre-financed for the production of 150 hectares of vegetables (group of 50 farmers each for the production of pepper, tomato and cabbage)
    • Yield increase of 8 tons per hectare achieved by the end of the 3rd season of production (end of year one)
    • Income per farmer increased to approximately GHS 10,000 each per annum
    • Baseline study report and a database with names, targeted vegetables, location and description of farm produced
    • Famer numbers increased to 300, and a spin-off investment of at least EUR 100,000 made by AFL/Johil after year one
    • Ghana Green Label certification procured for at least 100 farmers