THE CONCERNS OF FARMERS ON ALLANBLACKIA FRUIT TREE DOMESTICATION/MARKET ISSUES.

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THE CONCERNS OF FARMERS ON ALLANBLACKIA FRUIT
TREE DOMESTICATION/MARKET ISSUES. (a
representative view of the farmers of
Sureso/Pebaseman community of the amenfi district
of the western region.) Presenter Kwesi
Dankama Quarm (Rev.) Executive Director
Centre for Agro-forestry Business
Development CABUD an NGO Accra Office
P.O. Box MB 575 Accra. Tel 233
21 505 720 Mobile [phone]
7 Fax [phone] Email
cabudghana_at_yahoo.com Asankrangwa
Office P.O. Box 59
Asankrangwa.
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• Our Project Strengthening Capacity of
  Communities for Biodiversity Conservation And
  Enhancing the Security of their Livelihood.
• Our Benefactor UNDP/GEF/Small Grants
  Programme
• Care International
• Forest Watch-Ghana.
• Pioneer Beneficiary
• Community Sureso / Pebaseman Community
  on Akyekyedee Divisional Stool Land of Wasa
  Amenfi Traditional Area in the Amenfi East/West
• Districts in the Western Region of Ghana.
• Activities - Nursery/Tree planting (local and
  exotic)
• - Small ruminants production
• - Micro-credit financing
• - Bio prospecting for non timber forest
  products (NTFPs)
• - Wood, rattan. Bamboo handicraft production
• - Health education and promotion
• - Land use, planning and management
• - Entrepreneurial skills development
• - Agro-forestry practices

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• Source of Inspiration
• and Knowledge
  UNEP
• ICRAF

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• Dr. Tony Simons Remarks when he visited our
  community on November 27, 2003.
• Great to meet such an enthusiastic promoter of
  Agro-forestry, Thanks for the Knowledge.
• From the Visitors book of
• J.Y. Quarm Farms

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• THE CONCERNS OF THE FARMER
• INTRODUCTION
• I belong to the Sureso/Pebaseman farming
  community in the Amenfi West District of the
  Western
• Region of Ghana at the Head of the Centre for
  Agro-forestry Business Development CABuD a
• Local NGO. It is one of the communities in the
  high forest ecosystem where Allanblackia thrives.
• INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE/TECHNOLOGY
• Though Allanblackia nuts are not used on any
  large-scale, its use as cooking oil is known and
  there is a traditional knowledge and technology
  for exploiting it. As far as 1997 we envisaged
  its future potential as a commercial product and
  we encouraged some farmers in our community under
  our agro-forestry and afforestation programme to
  start planting them on their cocoa farms and
  urged them to stop cutting them down.
• NEW INITIATIVE
• For the past three years, however, we are happy
  that an institution like FORIG has entered our
  community to talk and find out more about it and
  have even began to organize for its purchase. In
  this regard, we have some concerns as farmers in
  the possible exploitation of this untapped forest
  resource. What follows may not be my personal
  view, but, rather what I have gathered from other
  farmers in my community ever since I had the
  invitation to attend this workshop.

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• It may as well be a representative view of the
  farmers in Ghana where this resource is found as
  they share a common ecological niche and
  agricultural problems. We are all familiar with
  the case of sunflower and the jatropha plants
  which were huge investment hazard/disaster for
  the farmers. Not even to speak of the
  cocoa/cassava and the headaches they are offering
  us.
• The major concerns of the farmers are the
  following.
• 1. RELIABLE SUPPLY OF IMPROVED SEEDLINGS-
  How/Where can they get reliable supply of
  improved fast growing seedlings and at what cost.
  It has been observed that the seeds take quite a
  long time to germinate. Some estimate between 2-3
  years.
• 2. GUARANTEED MARKET AND PRICE- To motivate
  farmers to undertake its cultivation, there is
  the need to create a guaranteed market and price.
  They prefer that prices shall be announced at the
  beginning of each harvesting season publicly.
• 3. PROVISION OF TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL
  RESOURCES/ASSISTANCE- Both technical and
  financial assistance are essential for farmers to
  get involved in the development and promotion of
  Allanblackia as an industrial product.
• 4. PARTICIPATION IN THE FIXING OF PRICES-
  Farmers expect to be involved in the fixing of
  prices so that their own concerns and interest
  can be factored into the pricing regime to
  satisfy both parties.
• 5. Farmer-Based Marketing System- Farmers want
  to set up their own marketing system where users
  can contact them directly for their supply. They
  might be lacking the capacity, but they wish to
  be supported in this direction to meet the
  required standard of service.

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• 6. VALUE ADDITION- As much as possible the raw
  materials should be processed in the areas of
  production so that more employment would be
  provided beyond farming and add more money to the
  lives of the people.
• 7. CONSTANT RAPPORT BETWEEN INDUSTRYAND
  FARMERS- For an exchange of information on
  production, marketing, cultivation and
  consumption issues.
• 8. AN INSTITUTION OF A REVOLVING FUND- This
  will provide credit facilities to farmers and
  purchasers of the fruits.
• 9. INSTITUTION OF AN ANNUAL BEST FARMER AWARD
  FOR ALLANBLACKIA- Each year farmers would want
  an award ceremony to be held to honour
  hard-working farmers and institutions.
• 10. A FARMERS RESOURCE AND TRAINING CENTRE-
  They wish to be provided with a Farmers Resource
  and Training Centre as a one-stop centre where
  everything that they shall needs/want about
  Allanblackia be provided.
• The reason is that officials come to talk and go
  and they only come back when it pleases them or
  their time allows. Meanwhile, the farmer may be
  needing something vital to enable him/her to make
  progress and he/she is handicapped. Such a
  facility will always bridge the gap and also be a
  symbol of seriousness and service.

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PERSONAL ASSESMENT

• Judging from my earlier contacts with most of the
  officials involved in the AB initiative from
  Ghana and the interest and dynamism of Dr. Tony
  Simons and his able staff and what I have heard
  and discussed here at ICRAF for the past two
  days. I have no doubt about the progress and
  success of this initiative if an enabling
  environment and resources are continually
  provided.

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APPRECIATION

• I wish to express for myself and behalf of the
  organizers for this training workshop both from
  Ghana and ICRAF for their invitation extended to
  us to participate in this workshop and share with
  you our concerns. We anticipate that in the wider
  context of your various works you will find our
  concerns legitimate and necessary.

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CONCLUSION

• On the basis we are sure that if the necessary
  support is provided, we as farmers both in our
  own locality and the neighbourhood shall put up
  our MAXIMUM effort and skills to ensure the
  OPTIMUM success of this wonderful AB INITIATVE.
  Congratulation to the initiators and their
  collaborators. May God bless them abundantly.
• 
  THANK YOU VERY MUCH

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