World Vision intensifies campaign on FMNR

Talensi Area Dev't  Prog Maanager of WV Ghana, Norbert Akolbila

Section of Participants

                  

World Vision Australia has provided a 5-year financial support to sustain the Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) Project implemented in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region. The gesture follows a successful execution of the first phase of the project carried out between  2009-2012. The project among other interventions seeks to empower beneficiary communities to prioritize the practice of FMNR to enable them recover the degraded wasteland. The project also intend to build the capacity of communities on how barren fields as well as degraded forests and grazing lands could be reforested without planting a single tree. At the Launch of the second phase of the project at Tongo, participants mainly farmers drawn from 17 beneficiary communities including Gbane and Yamsok were taken through varied economic benefits of FMNR through the harvest and sale of firewood, poles and non-wood products among other tree species, especially those that have the ability to sprout from stumps and roots after they are cut down. They were also taught on the technological knowhow on tree planting procedures among other technicalities. Speaking to Radio Ghana after the launch, the Talensi Area Development Programme Manager of World Vision, Norbert Akolbila, said the implementation of the project in the spate of 2-3 years had contributed in restoring some lost vegetation in some beneficiary communities. This, he said, formed the basis for the implementation of the phase two as a result of successes chalked during the phase one. He said most countries in sub Saharan Africa, particularly Niger has reaped the full economic benefit of the project and has on a large scale spread to over five million hectares of farmland through community advocacy. Mr Akolbila however underscored the need for deprived communities to prioritize the practice. According to him, World Vision intend to expand the project to cover the entire northern zone and most importantly  sell the idea to the SADA and other agencies for consideration since it is cheap and cost effective.  A participant who doubles as the Assembly member for Goroso/Pusu-Namogo, John Yalmon challenged beneficiary communities to complement the effort of world vision by encouraging other farmers to hook to the practice of FMNR. For him the project has brought much relief to his electoral area as it has discourage the practice indiscriminate tree felling and bush burning among other environmental negativities. The District Engineer, Samuel Kwame Tete, who spoke on behalf of the DCE, pledged the assembly's support for the project. 

GBC NEWS                                                    END                                       IA/