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INFORMATION FROM MEMBERS

FORMATION/ REBIRTH OF WESTERN REGION ECASARD GRASSCUTTER FARMERS

WREGFA was formed as a follow up activities from the workshop for ECASARD farm-based organization at koforidua on 2-3rd November 2005.One of the ultimate objectives of the Association is to reduce rural poverty and to increase nutritional and medicinal standard through Grasscutter production.

Possible Activities;

*To strengthen and network all grasscutter breeders / producers within ECASARD

* To extend membership trend to non- Ecasard members with its target groups including grasscutter farmers, interest farmers, school drop-out, unemployed youth and adults to go into this viable venture (Grasscutter production)

Organize series of workshops as a means to develop and build capacity thus to provide adequate knowledge, skills and techniques (KST).
To find good market opportunities for members includes provision of necessary inputs (cages and quality breeding stocks) and exchange of farm visits and educational tours.
To increase the membership of ECASARD and assist in improving its FBO- structures.

DO NOT FORGET: ‘’Grass cutter production a reliable and dependable source for sustainable development!’’

RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND ADVISORY SERVICE (RUDAS) GOES INTO CERELAC PROCESSING.

RUDAS, a Community Based Organization (CBO), was established in 1995 with the aim of helping rural women in Income Generating Activities. Peki Adzokoe branch is mainly into maize and cassava cultivation. This activity is carried on individually with technical assistance form Ministry of Agriculture-Extension. This year the group (12, 8 women, 4 men) has decided to go into food processing.
They process the cassava into dough and the maize into cerelac, a nutritious food drink for both children and adults. The leader of the Organization, Madam Agnes Broni contacted South Dayi District Assembly and MOFA as collaborators for technical Assistance. In January 2006 a demonstration on the processing of maize corpra, Nedo and other ingredients into cerelac was held for the members of RUDAS, facilitated by Mrs. Dora Sunu (MOFA) and Mrs. Vinolia Agbley (Com. Dev.) Coordinated by Agnes Broni, RUDAS. Producing CERELAC (in a frying pan):

1 alonka dried maize
6 piece of copra
1/2 tins of Nedo
2 tins Margarine
1 teaspoon full salt (Anapuna)

Method:

Pick all rotten and bad maize
Break all the coconut into powder
Add Nedo, Sugar and salt
Mix them into the maize powder
Add the margarine and mix well
Roast the mixture in bits on fire
Roast until golden brown
Serve when cool

Powder & pomade making in addition to the food processing the group was also taught how to prepare powder and pomade as a simple income generating activity.

ECASARD VOLTA ON THE MARCH

Ecasard Volta is as old as the National ECASARD. One wonders whether the organization is making the need progress.

Yes of course! ECASARD Volta has moved from holding its papers in bags and moving from house to house into a permanent and well furnished office through the tireless effort of Dr .R.R Nfodwo and the present executives.

They need to be recommended.

Another very important event that is taking place which I observed is that; unlike the good old days when Mr. Mozart Adevu would put Madam Agnes Broni into his car moving from office to office asking people, heads of Department, to join ECASARD. The situation is now the increase.

Gender is deeply rooted in the region that the present executives are made up of four male and four female.

Despite the conflicts and small misunderstanding the organization is still moving on to extent that the National Chairman is a Voltarian. I wish to commend the fore runners of this honorable organization for their selfless commitment and voluntary service they rendered for the organization to have taken a firm root in the Region.

ECASARD, APFOG PROMOTES MISTOWA IN THE WESTERN REGION

West African is made up of Anglophone countries or English speaking and Francophone or French speaking countries, hence the trade systems and service related between formidable and recognized agricultural bodies between these to lingua blocks. Some of the reputable promotion of MISTOWA activities is CONOESAS-Senegal, CONSEAM in Sikasso-mail, RESIMAD- the Anglophones
Countries, formidable and recognized organization or associations which play an active role in promoting MISTOWA are as follows (ECASARD-Ghana, APFOG-Ghana GAIDA-Ghana, GAPTO-Ghana, NAMIS-Nigeria, SPFS-Nigeria, IFDC-Nigeria, and PCU-Nigeria.

What Is MISTOWA?
It is an acronym or abbreviation for MARKET INFORMATION SYSTEMS FOR TRADERS ORGANIZATION IN WEST AFRICA.

One of its major areas is to address the low level of intra-regional trade in West Africa owing to limited access to unique, accurate and timely market information. MISTOWA is billed to compile regional database which will assist to make real time prince and other market information available and accessible to notable clients and partners via internet, emails and Satellite radio in English, French as well as different African languages like Swahili. MISTOWA will also be in a suitable position to collect, collage analyses and disseminate market information to agricultural inputs and agricultural commodities.

In order to nip the canker from the bud, Amazing saving Grace Farmers Association(ASGFA0, ECASARD and FOUNDI NG MEMBERS ORGANIZATION of GHANA ( APFOG) took the mantle to host and organize one day workshop with the theme ‘’MISTOWA IN THE WESTERN REGION’’ in June 2006. Delegates and Officials from APFOG national secretarial, Accra visited Sekondi / Western Region to introduce and promote the concept and activities of MISTOWA. Participants were dominated by ECASARD representatives from ECASARD member organizations. The response was very encouraging which yielded positive results.

Obviously, it solidifies the Strong relationship and bound between ECASARD and APFOG members.

Questions were asked which helped to maximize the awareness creation, education toppled with creditable understanding towards market information, uniformity or price systems and improvement of inter-community and inter-regional trade. In a nutshell, APFOG delegates learnt a lot from suggestions vice versa.

Finally farmers were able to enhance and build their capacities towards standard weights and measures of commodities to ensure fair price systems through Ghana standard Board (GSB) including farm and social development.

ACRONYMS USED (ANAGLOPHONE)
NAMIS - Nigeria Agricultural Market Information Service
SPFS - Special Program for Food security
GAIDA - Ghana Agric Input Dealers Association
GAPTO - Ghana Agricultural Producers and Traders Organization

OUR NETWORK IS GETTING READY FOR THE COMING YEARS ECASARD’S PLANNING PROCESS 2006.

After ECASARD’s Self assessment exercise in 2003. We wanted to look at our performance in this project period 2004-2006 together with an external team Dr. Paschal Atengdem and his assistant Ms. Anisa Osman visited ECASARD members and executives in all our 7 regions in March/April and handed over their final recommendations in June 2006.
The Evalution was the starting point of a strategic planning process which was supported by SNV, a Dutch funded partner organization and taken to the regions for further planning. Finally all findings and results were available to formulate the project proposal for the coming ECASARD period as our actual funding agreement comes to an end in August. Our proposals is being discussed with our partners and we hope to get positive response very soon to refocus our activities and continue to render services to our Network members and the farming communities.