The US Agency for International Development’s (USAID) ‘Feed the Future’ agriculture support project has advised small scale farmers in the Volta region to remain open minded about agriculture investors and not see themselves as “preys” to investors.
The Capacity Building Coordinator of the ‘Feed the Future’ agriculture support project, Mr Festus Kwadzokpo, observed that most small holder farmers fear being exploited by investors in the agricultural sector thus hesitate to welcome business ideas that will increase their productivity.
He said such fears cannot stimulate the needed development in the agricultural Sector. “Business should be taken as a win-win situation but where farmers think that anybody who is coming to do business with them is coming to cheat them, might drive investors away” he noted.
He therefore advised farmers to explore investment opportunities to enhance their productivity.
Mr. Festus Kwadzokpo was speaking at a three-day workshop in Ho to train network leaders of rice farmer based organizations in the Volta region on agricultural policy.
USAID Feed the Future Agriculture Policy Support Project is a five-year programme aimed to improve the security-enabling environment for private sector investment in agriculture.
