Profile Of The 2nd Runner Up National Best Farmer – 2019

ALHAJI ABDULAI ANTIKU SEIDU

(DAFFIAMA-BUSSIE-ISSA DISTRICT - UPPER WEST REGION)

Background

Alhaji Abdulai Antiku Seidu is a 51-year-old farmer from the Daffiama - Bussie-Issa District Assembly of the Upper West Region of Ghana.  Alhaji Antiku has Post-Tertiary education and has been farming for 15 years. The Antika Farms as it is known employs a total of 290 workers comprising 65 permanent staff and 220 casuals made up of 65 females and 225 males, and other five (5) assisting as family relations. The farm is located at Tabiasi within the Daffiama –Bussie-Issa District. Alhaji Antiku is married to two wives with eight children.

Diversification/Integration of Farming

Alhaji Antiku’s farm is well diversified with his crop enterprises covering the broad areas cereals, yam, legumes, cashew, teak plantation and vegetables under greenhouse technology. In respect of his animal enterprises, he has large ruminants (cattle), small ruminants (goats and sheep), and local birds.  Alhaji Antiku has rice processing and seed conditioning plants and ware houses.

Degree of Integration of Farming Operations

Alhaji Antiku culltivates crops and rears farm animals for good reasons that are He uses the manure from the animals to fertilize the fields thereby reducing the cost of inorganic fertilizer. He also uses the stover of maize, rice straw as well as groundnut soybean haulms to feed the animals.  The leftovers of his crop harvests are used to feed his farm animals, example the maize is used to feed the poultry birds and pruned mango leaves used as supplementary feeds for the animals notably cattle, sheep and goats. Byproducts of his rice processing plants are as supplementary feed. In times of financial challenges Alhaji Antiku sells some of the animals to fund the field operations and procure inputs for the crops.

Knowledge of Husbandry Practices

Alhaji Antiku has a good knowledge of crop husbandry practices as he over the years obtained his planting materials from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and other certified seed producers.  He employs both mechanical and manual methods of planting depending on the type of crop. Alhaji Antiku adopts both organic and inorganic methods of fertilization and also use botanicals and on rare occasions uses chemicals based on the advice and recommendation by the Extension agent to address the problem of pests and diseases. The practice of irrigation especially on the hybrid fields to provide soil moisture, rice milling constitutes the core of processing activities of the crop enterprise. 

As far as animal husbandry practices are concern, Alhaji Antiku has good knowledge of the criteria for the selection of breeding animals. He considers the economic benefits of species of animals he selects to keep. His animals are taken for open grazing during the raining season when there is enough pasture for the animals. In the dry season, he supplements the grazing with groundnuts and soybean haulms in addition to grains of maize and the rice bran from his rice processing mills.

Ahaji Antiku constantly relies on the veterinary officer of the area to address his livestock health needs. He ensures that the animals are well housed and regularly checked to ensure they are health all the time to guarantee good market prices.

Scale of Operation

The scale of operation of his enterprises is as follows:

Environmental Awareness

Protracted drought, floods as a result of high intensity rainfall, and bushfires are the environmental factors facing his farming business. In times of protracted drought, Alhaji Anitku uses water from his drilled bores within some of the fields to irrigate. The impacts of floods are reduced by creating canals to facilitate easy flow of excess water from the field.  With regards to bushfires he ensures that firebelts are created around the tree crop fields early enough and annuals are also harvest very early to avoid burning of his crops.

Alhaji ensures that his workers take precautionary measures prior to handling and use of pesticides. He ensures they wear the right protective gear such as:

• wellington boots
• overall dresses
• Hand gloves
• Nose mask
• Goggles

All empty containers of pesticides are all gathered and buried on the farm.

Major Farming Constraints and & Innovative Solutions

Lack of finance, inadequate irrigation infrastructure and inadequate storage facilities such as cold stores are some of the major constraints facing his farming business. In coping with these constraints, Alhaji adopts some measures such as:

• Sourcing of loans from the banks, though at high interest rates and also plows back his profit from the farm
• Uses water from drilled boreholes on some of the fields to irrigate e.g the seed maize fields
• Rents some ware houses and is also constructed some on the farm.

Record keeping

Record keeping is an important part of any business venture. The Antiku farms keep records for many reasons including:

• To track progress of the farm business
• To help monitor workers
• To make good pricing based on the crop budget

Adoption of improved Technology

Alhaji Antiku has adopted new technologies which have proven positively in his farming business. These technologies include:

• Green house technology
• Zero tillage to reduce soil erosion
• Seed packaging to enhance marketability of his certified seed
• Mechanization of farming operations e.g. land preparation, planting and shelling of maize

Role /recognition of farmer in the community

For people of the Tabiasi community and even beyond, Alhaji Antiku is regarded as a unique person, and a role model, who is a source of motivation for his peers and the youth. His readiness to share his knowledge in farming has won the hearts of many. He is a member of a number of associations which are:

• National Seed Traders Association of Ghana (NASTAG)
• Seed PAG,
• Ghana Agricultural Input Dealers Association (Upper West Regional President)

Alhaji has won several awards at the District, Regional and 1^st Runner up at the National level in 2013 at Sogakope.

In terms of his cooperate social responsibilities, Alhaji Abdulai Antiku Seidu has undertaken the following projects in his community:

• Collaborated with the KNUST and the Wa Polytechnic to train students in various aspects of agriculture
• Built a mosque for the community
• Provided a mechanized borehole which the community uses
• Established maize demonstration for the benefit of farmers in the community

General impression

The Antika Farms is diversified in both the crop and animal husbandry.  Alhaji is in good business as he makes profits from the sales of his animals and various crops which is invested in his agro inputs business. The farm has a good layout with a clean environment with a lot of windbreaks that reduces the strength of winds and also provides shade.  The workers are under safe working conditions. The inadequate funding source and irrigation infrastructure has not dampened his resolve to move on in spite of the difficulties.  His innovative ways of supplying his cereals to the school feeding programme, and some poultry farmers in and outside the region has made it possible for him to maximize his returns. In spite of the challenges, Alhaji has exhibited what it takes to succeed in farming under the circumstance that many Ghanaian farmers find difficult to adjust to.  He is obviously and inspiration to his peers and the youth. He therefore deserves commendation.