Tano North

The Tano North District is one of the Twenty-two (22) Administrative Districts of Brong-Ahafo Region of Ghana. It was carved out of the then Tano District in 2004 with its Administrative capital at Duayaw-Nkwanta.

It shares boundaries with Offinso and Ahafo-Ano Districts both in Ashanti Region in the North-East and South-West respectively. Other Districts that share boundaries with the Tano North include Tano South in the South, Asutifi in the West and Sunyani Municipal in the North.

The District lies between longitude 7° 00’ 25’, latitude 1° 45’ W and 2° 15’ W with a total land area of 876sq kilometres, constituting about 1.8% of the total land area of the Brong-Ahafo Region.

Demographics:
Population
The Tano North District has a total population of 78,415 comprising 39,338 males and 39,077 females as at 2010. The district has population growth rate of 2.4%.

Climate
The District lies in the semi-equatorial zone which experiences two (2) rainy seasons (major and minor). The major season is usually between March-June with June being the peak. The minor season on the other hand begins from August to November. The mean annual rainfall is between 1,250mm and 1,800mm. The dry season is quite severe and occurs from late November to February.

Vegetation
The District lies in the moist semi-deciduous forest zones of Ghana and has a gross forest area of 157.45sqkm. The District has two forest reserves namely; Apape and Bosomkese forest reserves. There exists a vast expanse of guinea savannah vegetation found in areas such as Subriso, Mankranho, Sukuumu, Adrobaa where cattle rearing is predominant.

Geology and Soil Characteristics
The geology of the District is basically made of the middle Precambrian formation. Most parts of the District are underlain by lower Biriman rocks with few areas such as Bosomkese and Kwannisa underlain by granite.

It must be noted that, the lower Birimian rocks formation in the District contain weathered phyllites and schist which account for the substantial deposits of red and white clay in areas such as Tanoso where ceramics, brick and tile and pottery industries are located.

Located in the moist semi-deciduous forest zone, the soil consists basically of forest orchrosols. Generally, the various types of soils in the Districts are fertile. The abundant arable land found in the District is favourable for the cultivation of a wide range of food and cash crops.
Land Use:

Agriculture is the main occupation in the District. It employs about 64.4% of the total active work force in the District.

The major food crops grown are maize, cassava, plantain, cocoyam and yam. Some of the cash crops cultivated include cocoa, coffee, oil palm and citrus. Apart from the food and cash crops cultivated, vegetables such as tomatoes, garden eggs, okro and pepper are grown in large quantities during the dry season.

Major livestock produced include poultry, cattle, sheep, goats and pigs

Weather: It is mostly sunny with high temperatures during the day and night. The rainfall pattern in the district is erratic mostly at the beginning and the end of the seasons.

Land Tenure System
As practiced in most parts of the country, chiefs, family heads and a few individuals act as custodians of all lands in the district.

Within a family set-up, land is passed on from generation to generation and a member is entitled to a portion of land which is also passed on to the next of kin. Settler farmers may acquire land for farming activities on agreed terms such as shared cropping or outright purchase.

DETAILED INFORMATION ON MAJOR CROPS PRODUCED
MAJOR CROPS PRODUCED (SRID): Maize, rice, cassava, plantain, cocoyam, yam and tomato

3)    INFORMATION ON SPECIAL PROJECTS

a)    INLAND VALLEY RICE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT (IVRDP)
This project was introduced into the District in 2004 and it is sited in Subonpang/ Tanokrom. This project seeks to provide irrigation facilities to farmers for rice production all year round to increase rice production in the District and the nation as a whole.

•    The farmer group comprising seven farmers which was used to start the project has now increased to twelve in 2010 with membership of 103 farmers (74 males and 29 females).
•    The farmers have been accessing credit from Agricultural Development Bank since 2005.
•    Land development which has been done manually by farmers is 48 ha and another 25 ha has been awarded on contract to be developed into an irrigable site.
•    There has also been upgrading of 1.6 km farm track from Kwame Nsiah village to the Akonasuam valley which is the area awarded on contract.
•    Constructional work on the headworks is at advance stage.
Achievements
•    The project has been organizing workshops to train farmers on rice technology (land development, nursing, fertilizer application, weed control, harvesting etc) which has helped in increasing rice production in the district.
•    There have been social trainings on diseases like HIV, Bilharzias, malaria, TB, etc to help farmers improve their health.
•    Farmers are assisted to access credit from the Agricultural Development Bank to help them in their farming activities since the project inception.

b)    CASSAVA: ADDING VALUE FOR AFRICA (C:AVA)
This project was introduced into the District in 2009.
Thematic Areas of Activities  :
•    Establish one acre of improved cassava fields in 15 operational areas across the District totalling 15 acres.
•    Setup of one (1) Demonstration field for yield studies in one of the operational areas (Santase) for a C: AVA group of 20 males and 15 females.
•    Conduct yield studies on five (5) C:AVA fields in the district to ascertain the most-high-yielding varieties among the three tested varieties (Nkabom, Bankyehemaa and Esambankye).

Achievements
•    Through this project, farmers’ need for improved varieties of planting materials has been met through the supply of planting materials to RTIMP tertiary farmers for 2010.
•    Due to numerous fora organised for these groups in their communities, more technical knowledge has been acquired by many of them especially in the use of these improved varieties both for domestic and industrial purposes.
•    Record keeping has been enhanced.

c)    VILLAGE MANGO PROJECT (VMP)
The Village Mango Project is in seven (7) communities in the District. Nine hundred and twenty (920) farmers have been supplied with seven thousand, three hundred and sixty (7,360) mango seedlings under the project so far. The survival rate of seedlings is 60.5%.

d)    CARGILL RURAL EDUCATION PROJECT
The Rural Education Project, a partnership between Cargill and CARE, seeks to promote the welfare of farmers and ensure increase in cocoa yields as well as increase enrolment among children of school going age in 20 communities in the District.

•    The project goal is to promote prosperous, sustainable cocoa communities, through a community development approach that engages civil society to improve conditions in cocoa communities, reduce child labour and increase cocoa production.
•    CARE will accomplish this by jointly analyzing community problems, designing and implementing lasting solutions for good agricultural practices.

To ensure sustainability of project interventions, CARE’s strategy in mobilizing people and groups for effective community development is the use of Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) activities.

This project was launched in the District on 3rd December, 2010 and activities taking place now are Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) in all the selected communities after which Action plan would be drawn for the commencement of field work in the District.

4)    INFORMATION ON SPECIAL PROGRAMMES
a)    ROOT AND TUBER IMPROVEMENT AND MARKETING PROGRAMME (RTIMP)
The programme was introduced to the District in 2007.

Thematic Areas of Activities

•    In 2010 twenty (20) selected secondary farmers comprising of nineteen (19) males and one (1) female cultivated 20 multiplication sites; one acre each representing 20 acres across the District.
•    In 2011, additional twenty (20) secondary farmers comprising of one (1) male and nineteen (19) females have been selected to cultivate 20 multiplication sites.
•    Farmer field fora demonstration farms were established in the District from 2009 – 2011 within the following communities :
–    Afrisipa
–    Sukuumu
–    Nkwantabisa
–    Nsuapemkrom
–    Susuanso
–    Bomaa Apesika
•    Three (3) on farm cassava demonstration fields were established in 2009 for yield studies at;
–    Buokrukruwa
–    Koforidua
–    Yamfo
•    Processing Sites: nine (9) processing sites and one (1) Good Processing Centre (GPC) have been established from 2007 -2011.
•    Three Hundred and fifty (350) tertiary farmers comprising 250 males and 80 females were supplied with ten (10) bundles of improved cassava varieties for onward multiplication in 2010 representing (218.75 acres).
Capacity Building for staff in the following areas:
–    Management skills
–    Entrepreneurial skills
–    Group dynamics
–    Record keeping
–    Media training etc.

Achievements
•    Six (6) farmer field fora demonstration farms have been established in the district.
•    Forty (40) secondary multiplication farms have been established across the district.
•    Three (3) on farm demonstration fields have been established.
•    Ten (10) processing sites have been established including one (1) Good Processing Centre (GPC).
•    Three hundred and fifty (350) tertiary farmers benefitted from improved cassava planting materials free of charge.

b)    COCOA DISEASE AND PEST CONTROL PROGRAMME (CODAPEC)
This programme seeks to control black pod and diseases of cocoa and to increase yield. It was introduced into the District in 2004.

Thematic Areas of Activities:
•    The spraying is always in three (3) stages or rounds.
The first round always start from June, the second in August and the last round in September and ends in October.
•    Thirty-five (35) gangs comprising ten (10) sprayers each and thirty-five (35) supervisors are involved in this programme.
•    The estimated size of cocoa farms in the district is about 15,250 hectares and an average of 12,250 hectares is covered.
Achievements
•    The programme has helped in controlling black pod disease in the district.
•    There has also been an increase in yield of cocoa in the district due to the reduction of black pod disease.

Potentials:
•    The District has available land rich in plant nutrients for farming.
•    Availability of ready market (weekly market) for marketing food stuffs.
•    Presences of agricultural project/programmes in the district have been supportive of agricultural activities in the district.

http://mofa.gov.gh/site/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Tano-North-District-can-boast-of-a-number-of-cash-crops-including-Oil-Palm-as-cultivated-by-Prison-Service-in-Duayaw-Nkwanta.1.jpg 427w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 18px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 310px;"> Tano North District can boast of a number of cash crops including Oil Palm as cultivated by Prison Service in Duayaw Nkwanta.

http://mofa.gov.gh/site/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/The-Officer-in-Charge-OIC-looks-on-in-appreciation-of-the-good-harvest-of-oil-palm-in-the-Prisons-Farm-at-Duayaw-Nkwanta1.jpg 372w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 18px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 310px;"> The Officer in Charge (OIC) looks on in appreciation of the good harvest of oil palm in the Prisons Farm at Duayaw Nkwanta

http://mofa.gov.gh/site/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/2010-National-Farmers’-Day-celebration-in-the-Tano-North-District.1.jpg 427w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 18px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 310px;"> 2010 National Farmers’ Day celebration in the Tano North District.

http://mofa.gov.gh/site/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/A-group-of-Women-particitpants-undergoing-training-in-the-use-High-Quality-Cassava-Flour-HQF-in-maeking-pastries-in-Duayaw-Nkwanta1.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 18px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 310px;"> A group of Women particitpants undergoing training in the use High Quality Cassava Flour (HQF) in maeking pastries in Duayaw Nkwanta