Ga South Municipal

INTRODUCTION

Location and Land Area:

The Ga South Municipal Assembly (GSMA) was in late 2007 one of the four (4) newly created districts in the Greater Accra Region. It lies within latitude 5o 48 North 5o 29 North and Latitude 0o8’ West and 0o30’ West

The total land area of the Municipality is estimated at 517.2 sq km with about 362 communities.

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Ga South Municipal Assembly.

Population size:

According to the extract from the 2000 National Population and Housing Census, the population of the Ga South Municipal Assembly is estimated at 210,727, with inter-censual growth rate of 3.4%. The projected population for the year 2009 is 284,712, which may be 316,091 by 2012.

It is estimated that 7000of the total population of the Municipality are farmers according to Ga south Municipal Agricultural 2010 statistics. The total number of farm household is 5239 and an average of 6 people live in a household. Using the 2000 population census, the female population as at the year 2000 is 50.1% of the total population whiles males make up the other 49.9%.

Climate:

The Ga South Municipality shares boundaries with Awutu Efutu, West Akim, AMA, and Ga West. The Vegetation in the municipality is the Forest, Guinea Savannah and the Coastal savannah.

Rainfall pattern is bi-modal. The first season begins in May and ends in mid-July while the second season begins in mid-August and ends in October. The average annual rainfall is between790mm on the coast to about 1270mm. Rainfall is usually characterized thick cloudy conditions and high intensive storms.This situation always causes flooding of the valley bottoms. The coastal wet lands also get flooded as a result of the occasional opening of the Weija dam when it is full. This affects crop production.

The annual average temperature ranges between 25.1ºC in August and 28.4ºC in February and March are the hottest months. It has a relative humidity of about 75%. Average duration figures are about 94% and 69% at 6:00 and 15:00 respectively.

Soil Type:

Soils found in the area are observed to be sandy and clay loams. Alluvia soils are found at the valley bottoms and the estuary.

MAIN AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES

Crop Production: Stable: (Cassava, Maize, Cowpea, Groundnut, Yam, plantain and sweet potato)

Fruit Crop: (Pineapple Watermelon Oil –Palm,  Mango, Pawpaw ,Citrus and cashew), Vegetable: Local (Chilies, Okra, Garden egg) and Asian (Cabbage, Marrow, Tinda, Ravaya),

Livestock and Poultry Production: (Livestock : Small ruminants, Pigs, Cattle  and Micro Livestock (Grass cutter & Rabbit) and (Poultry: Local Fowls, Exotic Fowls,     Guinea Fowl, and Turkey) and .

Fish production in the marine is mainly artisanal while fresh water fishing in the River Densu and the Ponpon water shed as well as Aquaculture exist with about 20 farmers with fish ponds. Fishes caught are mainly:  Anchovy, tilapia, herrings.

Other forms are milk production and beekeeping.

Other stakeholders are also processing and marketing fresh and dry fruits for local and international markets in the municipality.

Farming areas in the municipality

The Municipal has been divided in to four (4) agricultural zones: Kofi Kwei, Omankope, Ashifla and Weija.

Each zone has eight (8) operational areas. Kofi Kwei Zone: (Prampram, Akweiman Kofi Kwei, Twerebo, Nusobri, Tenbibian, Atwakan and Obom), Omankope Zone: (Danchira, Balagonno, Ashalaja, Adeambra, Amanfrom, Congo, Fante Mayera and Domeabra), Ashifla Zone: (Konkon, Agbazo, Kwaku Pamfo, Hobor, JeiKrodua, Honnisee and Bebianiha) WeijaZone ( Langma, Weija, Bortianor, Pentecost University, Ablekuma, Race Course Kokrobite and Gbawe).

Estimated number of agricultural entrepreneurs/ zone

The Municipal has both large scale and medium scale farmers who have established themselves in various enterprises such as pineapple production, livestock and poultry production and processing. Example of such farms are Golden Exotic, BOAMAT and Gold Coast fruits. Others for processing are EBENAT and WADE.

Estimated agricultural labour force /zone

Farm labour utilized in the municipality is mostly own labour and use their households. However, migrant farmers move down during the dry season to farm along the valley bottoms; such labour is utilized during this period to cultivate vegetables but the cost of such labour is expensive. Most producer exporters who have taken over large tracts of arable lands from the small scale farmers have employed them to work permanently for them on their farms. Tractor services are low and expensive. Only farmers with one acre and above utilize such services and it is unavailable when they most need it.

Land tenure system

The land is mostly owned by families who have the sole responsibility to lease or sell out right. Therefore settlers who leased such lands over period of time and could not purchase them lose them to the commercial farmers who purchase large tracts for pineapple production. As a result there are a lot of land disputes and chieftaincy issues ongoing in the municipality. The average land size per farmer is between 0.1 – 1 to hectare. The municipal assembly plans to rezone and also purchase about 100acres to sustain agriculture sin the Municipality.

Pest and Disease Control

The most important pest and diseases that attack crops are mealy bugs, white fly and anthracnose. These pest and diseases attack crops like pawpaw, pineapple, mango and cassava.  In 2009, the prevalent rate of the mealy bug attack was so high that it destroyed about 90% of pawpaw plantations.  Vegetables like pepper also suffered virus attacks as a result of the high incidence of the white fly which serve as a vector that transmit the on the pepper. Several trainings have since been conducted to prevent the disease incidence from reaching economic threshold.  Some biological control measures have been taken by the Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Unit of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.

Livestock disease like PPR, CBPP, and Rabies vaccinations are conducted yearly prevent an outbreak of the disease.  Staff, school children and farmers have also been trained carry out biosecurity measure. The veterinary staff also carries out regular disease surveillance to prevent the spread and control of the disease.

Storage and Marketing of Produce

Cassava is processed into dough and gari while maize dried stored in a room or barn. Oil palm fruits are pressed and additional value added to make dzomi.  Horney is harvested processed and bottled. Fruits and nuts are also processed into dry snacks. All these products sold either at the farm gate, in the four markets in the municipality or for export.

Irrigation

The proposed 48 hectares small-scale irrigation project for small scale farmers in and around Ashifla zone by the Municipal Assembly is yet to materialize. However, the Assembly has demolished all structures erected on the Government 252 hectare irrigable land at Tuba to pave way for the continuation of the project. With the pump and land ready, all is now set for the revamping of project soon.

Cropped areas of major crops

The municipality has high acreages of land under cultivation but the productivity is low. Most small scale farmers have low yields from their farms because of underutilization of inputs as result high cost of inputs like fertilizer chemicals and tractor services. Though there is subsidy on fertilizer, it is not timely since farmers in the south plant earlier than the time of price of fertilizer is released.

Livestock production

It is believed that Ga South Municipality is one of the livestock belts in southern Ghana. Though this perception is waning, farmers still keep substantial animals for cash supplement their family income and also for protein.  Each household have between one to five small ruminants and about ten to twenty local fowl.  There is also movement of alien herdsmen during the dry season graze their cattle around Weija. There is some ample land for grazing but has not been sown. Though there is serious urbanization ongoing, most peri urban areas rear some livestock in their backyard hence all hope is not lost for livestock production.

Livestock Statistics

Fish Production

The Municipality has a vast coastline that makes it possible for migrants to land and sell fish.  Different kinds of are landed here. Some of them include……An annual average catch 260 metric tones is obtained. However, this phenomenon is dwindling as a result of light fishing. Also incase of a glut, there are no cooling facilities to prolong its shelf life. This makes it difficult for fishers and fish processors to pay for credit obtained purchase inputs like fishing boasts and canoes, fishing gears, outboard motors and premix fuel. Though fishing is not allowed in Densu River, some fresh water is ongoing around Tomafa and the Ponpon water shed.  Mostly Tilapia is caught from this source of fishing. There is also a high potential aquaculture where Tilapia is cultured in ponds.  However, fish harvested from the ponds no longer generate income as a result of the influx cage culture.  Currently about 20 fresh fish and Marine Processors as well as fishermen (600) exist in the Municipality.

Technologies demonstrated to beneficiaries

To increase food security and growth in income, farmers trained in various innovations. However, the number of people reached and the percentage female kept on fluctuating relatively as a result of large geographical area with low staff, untimely release of resources and immobility.

SPECIAL PROJECTS & PRGRAMMES

These special projects are to help farmers and the youth in our communities increase food security and income. These projects are Cockerel project, fertilizer subsidy and block farming. The tables below show the details of the projects.

Cockerel Projects

Cockerel project

Fertilizer Subsidy Programme

MAIN DISTRIBUTOR

PURE & PERFECT ENTERPRISE

–        P.O. BOX 1901, TEMA

Tel: +233-22- 211010 /+233-244- 523961

SALES AGENTS:

• PARS ENTERPRISE              –      OBOM            Tel: 0544 187633
• CAROLE ENTERPRISE       –       WEIJA           Tel: 0264 337348 /0541 047778
• CUSTEL VENTURES           –     BORTIANOR   Tel: 0244 935665

DESK OFFICER

• SAMUEL NII LARYEA     –        MADU               Tel:  0244 4876755

Block Farming Programme

Summary of activities on Block Farming onion production

Export Market and Quality Awareness Project (EMQAP) activities

PROJECT DETAILS

THE EXPORT AND QUALITY AWARENESS PROJECT

It was implemented in 2006 to help train small scale farmers engaged in the production of horticulture crops like pineapples and vegetables to produce quality produce for export. This was as a result of the fall in the market price of pineapple exported in 2006 because of consumer preference and presences of chemical residues on the crop. So far …… farmers have been trained under the project .Good agriculture practices demonstrations and HIV/AIDs and malaria control.

THE CASHEW DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

It was implemented in 2004 to help farmers in the municipality have a long term crop to lean on. A total of GH¢120,000.00 was given to farmers in the form of inputs to plant intercrops in the cashew plantations.  However, this did not happen most farmers receive the inputs and some cash and used the money for other source income generating activity which failed them.  This made it difficult for them to payback.

POTENTIALS

*Vast fertile land

*Water bodies available

*Vast coast land

*Micro scale production

*Export industries

*Well developed irrigable area (252) as well as small dams and dag outs

*Four markets

*Cottage industries processing nuts, fruits and cassava with some level of value addition

*Wide road network

Which makes proximity of farming communities to the ports and harbors easy?