Faranaaya Agri-business Limited produces and aggregates sorghum, working in six districts with 5,000 smallholder farmers (of which 37% are women). Each farmer cultivates an average of 1 acre. The company provides a ready market for farmers and farmer groups by supplying sorghum to Guinness Ghana Breweries Ltd (GGBL). Faranaaya also retails agro-inputs such as fertilisers, weedicides and certified seed for vegetables and crops, and provides farmers with services such as entrepreneurial skills training and additional staff support. The company’s mandate is to improve the income and food security status of smallholder farmers in northern Ghana. Faranaaya Agri-business Limited joined the MADE programme in 2015 and in 2019 aggregated 2,000 MT of sorghum.
MADE interventions
- Recruited, trained and deployed eight Farm Enterprise Advisors (FEAs) to register and provide farm advisory services.
- Provided demonstrations and training in pest and disease management, appropriate fertiliser application, mulching and good soil tillage.
- Facilitated relationships with other MADE partners, such as Savanna Agri-Chains, for the complementary supply of inputs and services.
- Introduced the Advanced Business Model, including establishing a nursery for the supply of certified seed varieties, and encouraging the use of good agricultural practices.
Impacts
- Increased outreach from 3,500 smallholder farmers in 2016 to 5,000 farmers in 2020, as a result of the good relationships created through the activities of Business Development Advisors (BDAs).
- Provided affordable bundled services, giving SHFs access to timely land-preparation services.
- Increased sorghum yields from 500 kg in 2017 to 800 kg in 2019, raising farmers’ incomes.
