Time at Bechem and Transition To Green Coast Foods

Happy New Year Everyone. I know its been long overdue but it is still a happy new year. Resolutions were made before 31st night and this note is being written on the 18th of February. I set out a number of things I'd like to achieve 'So Help Me God" before the end of the year 2013. I realised I needed to put in work after speaking to a friend.

Mind you when one is inspired to write its best you note every thing that comes to mind immediately lest you forget. Last time I posted something on here was the 16th of October 2012 (World Food Day) when I visited to Tanokrom and had the opportunity to interact with rice farmers.

I worked with at Bechem as Junior Agronomist for a project that will help Oil Palm Farmers within a vast catchment area across the Brong- Ashanti border. I visited a lot of towns, villages, farms and met a whole lot of people during this period. I was reluctant when I got the offer to go work at Bechem but for encouragement from friends and a little self-analysis I would have stayed in my comfort zone (Accra).

maize farm

Another reason why I didn't want to leave for Bechem was because of my Two (2) acre maize farm at Gonse- Medie. It had been 4 weeks since I planted and here I was,I had to leave it in the care of a Supervisor and my brother whom I knew would soon leave for school. I had to go to Bechem to help in a greater cause of helping farmers.



At Bechem working with the farmers on their fields was fun. We were sampling to know the current state of their farms and also registering them as Farmer Based Organisations (FBO) that which would strengthen their bargaining power on the market place and also facilitate the dissemination of agricultural technologies and best farming practices that are environmentally friendly.

The Catchment area of operation spread from Bechem to Tepa, Akwasiase, Hwidiem, Abuom, Buokrukruwa, Goaso, Noberkaw, Sankore, Kwapong oh the east and then to Duayawnkwanta, Derma, Ankaase, Gyereso, Amakom, Adugyama (note: these are the major Towns)

catchment area

I experienced a lot about Oil palm and people in general. I also had to bear the listening ear of the plight of most farmers in that part of the Nation and assure them of the change that was soon to come.

Food security is not just about the local production of food, but indeed about the availability of affordable and nutritious food. I saw first hand the wastage of food stuff due to flux in produce with no market or farmers deciding to destroy their produce rather than accept the meager amount offered by middle men or market women. Yes! One farmer said "Omo besisi me dier anka me nuoma no empror" which translates into "Id rather have my harvested produce rot than to be cheated by the middle men by offering a price lesser than he anticipated".

GreenCoastFoods

Sad but this is the plight of most farmers scattered in the country. Personally I thought of a way to help aside helping our designated Oil Palm farmers. It was during a session with Jeffrey Manu when he mentioned an Idea Koby Nkrumah had, it came at a perfect time and fit perfectly into my plan to help these farmers. This gave birth to Green Coast Foods; A doorstep Grocery delivery service dedicated to helping Ghanaian Farmers, Improving Rural Development and Promoting Ghanaian Food.
I will take another post to talk about Green Coast Foods and its activities but at the point the idea materialised it was good- getting to solve a problem of urban dwellers and helping farmers to boost rural development.



"the Best Culture Is Agriculture"

Akwasi Tagoe