The Golinga (100 hectares) is one of the two major irrigation schemes in the Northern Region of Ghana, developed in the mid - 1980s to promote intensive cultivation (in the rainy and dry seasons) of rice, upland crops such as soya beans and vegetables by small scale farmers from the catchment areas of these schemes – Golinga

Socio-Economic Background of Golinga Community.

The Golinga community is located in the Tolon-Kumbungu District of Northern Region. The Golinga community in this proposal refers to Golinga,Galinkpegu and Gbelahagu villages- the these satellite settlements operating on the Golinga Irrigation Project (100 hectares of developed area). There are approximately 100 compounds or farming households, habitating 8-15 persons, in each village in the Golinga area. The over all population is about 2000 persons of which the female component is slightly on the edge.

Every household in these two communities is basically a farming family. The two major seasons here are the dry (November to April) and rainy (May to October).Farm holdings range from 1 to 5 hectares and all families have some livestock.Maize, sorghum,millet,yam and cassava are the major crops farmed under rain fed conditions and cash crops such as soya beans groundnuts and shea have in recent years gained increased prominence in the cropping systems of the communities.

Apart from the major pre- occupation as farmers each village has one or two persons engaged fully or seasonally in some other enterprise. There are for instance butchers, blacksmiths, carpenters and petty traders and fresh fish mongers.
The dominant ethnic group in the Dagomba but migrant Fulanis are everywhere in Northern Ghana. Small settlements of the Borto fisher folk are scattered everywhere there is a large water body such as the Golinga dam. Every household in the in the community has one or several persons engaged in some farming activity under irrigation with average farm holdings being between 0.2 to 2.0 hectares. Rice is the most important crop under these schemes and is grown in both seasons of the year under. Market gardening, in the dry season, of tomatoes, onions garden egg and pepper has significant economic importance also.

Figure 1 below is a map of Northern Region of Ghana with the Tolon-Kumbungu District sandwiched in the centre close to the Savelugu-Nanton and the Tamale Municipal assemblies.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Water and cultivable land are key limiting resources in the drought-prone Northern Ghana. Studies conducted in recent years by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and others indicate that the main challenges confronting small to medium scale Irrigation farmers in the project area include the following:

• Declining yields and quality of rice and other crops from year to year
• Soils, water bodies, fish and crop products produced and the environment in general in the projects catchment areas are becoming more and more polluted as a result of inappropriate and unsustainable use of agro-inputs.
• Cotton pesticides and cheap adulterated pesticides smuggled into the country often find their way into the hands of unwary rice farmers operating on these projects.
• Chemical fertilizers and pesticides for rice production are very expensive and out of the reach of majority of small scale farmers operating under these irrigation schemes.

Inadequate capacity development in proven agronomic technologies, and especially in sustainable organic/integrated farming alternatives, have frequently been cited as the underlying causes of the declining rice crop yields and productivity of these schemes and the increasing impoverishment of the farming communities operating under them.

One way to increase the productivity of land and water resources effectively is to integrate irrigation and aquaculture. Rice-fish farming is one example of integrated-irrigation aquaculture (IIA)-a strategy to increase agricultural productivity from every drop of water while improving the financial sustainability of investments in irrigation. Rice and fish are grown together either on the same plot or on adjacent plots and the by-products of one are used as inputs by the other.

KEY PROJECT OUTPUTS

OUTPUT 1.
Sustainable integrated rice fish farming enterprises established for 25 farmers and 5 Agricultural Extension Agents (AEA,s) in Golinga Community through IPM.

OUTPUT 2.
Land use efficiency and productivity improve by at least 30 per cent at the irrigated sites due to adoption of proven best bet farming methods of rice and fish and improved land & water management interventions – by the end of the second season of the project.

OUTPUT 3.
Sustainable production and processing of cottage industries of rice and fish (production, processing and marketing) for 20 females and youth in each community developed over two seasons.

3.2 PROJECT ACTIVITIES AND INDICATORS


Output 1: Sustainable integrated rice fish farming enterprises established for 25 farmers and 5 Agricultural Extension Agents (AEA,s) in for each of the Golinga and Bontanga Communities through IPM
ACTIVITIES INDICATORS
1.1 Conduct. Base line survey of the proposed project area Base line survey of project completed within first quarter of year 1
1.2 Conduct Needs Assessment: Meetings of Implementing Team with Chiefs and Elders, Water User Associations (FBO, s) and other stake holders at two Project sites Needs assessment and design of interim work plans completed by end of first quarter of project year 1 for r successful take off

1.3 Select site and design of Work Plan and Training Manuals Most suitable sites for project selected and work plans and training
Manuals for successful take off of project completed in close collaboration with project beneficiaries


1.4 Rehabilitate Fish ponds Model organic and environmentally friendly rice fish farms constructed /rehabilitated by end of first quarter of project cycle at two locations .

1.5 Develop demonstration rice-fish farms at Golinga. Infrastructural works for integrated farms established and field days carried out for project beneficiaries and stake holders


1.6. Develop rice and fish farms Integration management skills. Management skills of trainee farmers enhanced through learning by doing approaches of IPM

1.7. Produce manuals – IPM for promoting Integrated Rice –Fish
Develop farming techniques for sustainable rural development Training manuals of IPM for promoting sustainable rice fish farming produced to buttress practical activities
Interventions for eliminating POPs and enhancing sustainable management of water and land


1.8. Improve Rice fields land preparations techniques and reforestation activities
of degraded down side of dam walls water and land resources completed and circulated major stake holders and all trainees

OUTPUT 2.
Land use efficiency and productivity improve by at least 30 % at the irrigated sites due to adoption of proven best bet farming methods of rice and fish and improved land & water management interventions – by the end of the second season of the project.
ACTIVITIES INDICATORS
2.1 Introduce New Rice for Africa-NERICA- rice fields management – [A case study in Sustainable Land & Water management & Environmental Conservation: Rehabilitating excavated, scared and environmentally degraded dam sites for sustainable development]

2.2 Organize Training 1 In pesticide safe use, storage and disposal, Categorization of pesticides, organic alternatives or botanicals.

2.3 Survey Pests and Diseases dynamics for improvement of rice and fish yields and quality. (By entomologists and IPM “Master Trainers”)

2.4 Organize forth nightly training sessions using Farmer Field School (FFS) Approach.

2.5 Introduce management of pests and diseases using Agro-Ecosystem Analysis (AESA) tools and other techniques of IPM Irrigation water management

2.6 Collect soil, water samples for laboratory analysis and education on water quality relevance soil fertility conservation. • Advantages of using of improved rice varieties such as the NERICAs demonstrated.
• Rehabilitation and and revegetation of degraded down downside side of project dam walls as a model of environmental rehabilitation implemented by trainees and communities volunteers.
• sustainable integrated production demonstrated by trainees project end
• Training in pesticides management and role of natural botanicals enhanced. Basic working knowledge of pesticides acquired by trainees, contributing to
• The reduction of the release of POPs in project sites by at least 50% and increased productivity achieved by end of project second season.
• Trainees acquire fundamental skills in pests and diseases management without arbitrarily increasing resort to chemical pesticides
• Working practical knowledge of pests and their natural enemies (predators),useful and harmful insects through AESA and other IPM tools mastered by all 30 trainees per site
• At least 40 % of each projects farmers acquire education on importance of good quality water maintenance and soil fertility & conservation methods












OUTPUT 3.
Sustainable production and processing of cottage industries of rice and fish (production, processing and marketing) for 20 females and youth in each community developed over two seasons
ACTIVITIES INDICATORS
1 3.1 Conduct hands-on-training on harvesting of Rice and Fish Processing, Packaging and Marketing skills development ( Establishment of cottage Industries as viable and sustainable business Ventures)
3.2 Organize two Farmers Field Days (FFDs) in each season at alternating sites to monitor and evaluate the crop/fish and environmental management strategies that are being demonstrated.
3.3 Conduct Socio –economic survey and fish and rice value chain development for
sustainable cottage industries
3.4 Organize end of season/project workshop for keeping project on track and for possible upgrading, improvements and or replication in other such schemes in Ghana • Group dynamics and consolidation implemented.
• Rice and fish production value chains developed and cottage industries involving at least 6 women and youth groups grown in the two communities established by the end of the project.

• Two field days per season in alternating locations held for 50 project beneficiaries attending.

• Survey and analysis of the socio economic factors and their impact on project success completed by last quarter of project time frame

• End of season and end of project workshops organised



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