For many subsistence farmers, the final stage of production is one of the major obstacles hindering them from moving to commercial farming. However, a new multi-crop thresher, delivered by the IFDC-implemented Feed the Future Ghana Agriculture Technology Transfer project, that facilitates de-husking, threshing, and cleaning has given hope to farmers in Northern Ghana.
Iddrisu Jampoi Dimah, Operational Manager of Akate Out-growers Unit in Sissala West and East, sees the new equipment as a big relief for smallholder farmers, especially during the harvesting season. It is also a good source income generation for nucleus farmers.
“I say this because of my experience using both the old and new thresher…due to the new B4 thresher efficiency and profit, I have single-handedly purchased an additional one for about U.S. $6,752 because all our out-growers prefer we shell with the new equipment,” Dimah attested.
Comparing the new and old sheller, Iddrisu said the new sheller eases his work and gives him cleaner grains and seed without debris.
“When I was using the old equipment, I hired labor to de-husk the maize before shelling, and then I contracted women to winnow, which took about a week. With that I lost most of the grains and seed—but the new B4 thresher does a clean job few hours,” he explained.
According to Dimah, most farmers are going into maize cultivation because shelling is now easier and cheaper than ever. The development has helped increase the company’s farmers base from 132 to over 800.
He is not the only beneficiary but with the project support, 79 other nucleus farmers across the three Northern regions received new threshers through the small equipment grant of the project in partnership with Agromite Limited.
