In the heart of the Central Gonja district, where the Torope community is located, smallholder farmers are transforming their farming systems through the use of URBANET’s agroecological principles and farm technologies. From roller planters to hoes, groundnut pod strippers, cutlasses, donkey/bullock ploughs, we are transforming the agricultural space one technological tool at a time. From farm preparation to harvest, URBANET has journeyed with them this season to ensure maximum use of what has been taught and provided.
To emphasise the impact of this initiative, one of the vibrant women of Torope shares her journey with URBANET during a visit. Fuseina Dokurugu, a well-known smallholder farmer and entrepreneur who resides in the community and whose name is known to every household for her active participation in communal development, is an example of a woman who is transforming their farming with agroecology.
During our first interaction with Fuseina, she demonstrated admirable enthusiasm when it came to sustainable farming. While a lot of farmers admitted to broadcasting as a way they plant, she shared that she has always used the dibbling method of planting, and that learning new ways to ensure effective farming and harvest yield was her goal. Fuseina wasn’t bluffing.
After the distribution of the roller planters and other tools, Fuseina is reported to have been one of the first to use the roller planter on her farm. She also made use of the knowledge that was shared on compost preparation and was able to produce and apply compost manure on her field. On our recent monitoring visit to the community, we were welcomed by the sight of Fuseina using the groundnut pod stripper produced by URBANET in her field.
“I have benefited a lot from this project. Unlike previous farming seasons, this year, I was able to plant an acre of land within a day thanks to the roller planter. This used to take about three to four days with the dibbler, even with the help of my family. The use of the roller planter didn’t just save time; it also made it easy to maintain proper farm hygiene due to the rolls and spacing it creates when planting,” Fusiena shared. She added that “the pod stripper has also saved me a lot, and it is easy to use once you understand how it works. Previously, to harvest groundnut, you would have to call people to help, and for each person who helps, as payment, you would have to give them a bowl of groundnut, depending on the amount they harvest. So, there were times that after harvest, you ended up losing more than half of what you had harvested. But this year, all I have to do is fuel the pod stripper, and within a day, my family and I are able to harvest an entire acre without losing a grain. The pod stripper is not just fast; it produces clean grains, and all you have to do is bag them after harvesting.”
For Fuseina and many others in the community, this initiative has not only made farming easy for them but has also enlightened them on the significance of adopting appropriate tools while maintaining or increasing their farm health and yield. Aside from the use of the tools, most farmers in the community are adopting the agroecological principles and are willing to invest in their farms and livelihoods. For us at URBANET, Fuseina is not just a diligent farmer and entrepreneur; she is a model of change and a forerunner for sustainable agroecology.