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The invasion of army-worm has pose numerous serious challenges to both farmers and the country as a whole, for this reason Wyanca Sunshine, Agric Products &Trading Co. which engages in farming tool production and sale of pesticides in collaboration with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), has taken 68 smallholder Ghanaian maize farmers at Yilo Krobo in the Eastern Region on a farm demonstration on how to increase their yield even in the light of unfriendly weather conditions and also prevent army worm invasion.

Using a newly developed Crop Solution Plan termed “Wynca Sunshine Maize High Yield Solution System”, the farmers were taken through a field demonstration which was able to increase maize production through the demonstration from 2,920 kilogram per acre from 1, 133 kilogram per acre with the normal field.

The demonstration moved to the Eastern Region following the successes chalked through the piloting in nine different maize growing communities in the country, which include Upper Manya Krobo and Yilo Krobo Districts in the Eastern Region as well as the Nkoranza North and Nkoranza South Districts in the Brong Ahafo Region and lastly Boankra in the Asante Region, where farmers were able to record double yields.

The farmers were also educated on how to adopt improved maize production technologies.

Sales and Marketing Manager of Wynca Sunshine, James Zhang explained how important it's to partner MOFA in an excellent example of what can be achieved when public and private organisations work together for a common good, providing powerful new tools to help farmers overcome climate change challenges and increase food production, he said this when speaking to the media.

According to him, results from the demonstration with the Sunshine Maize High Yield Solution System shows how the power of advanced technology can help farmers despite unpredictable weather conditions and increased crop volatility due to climate change.

More than 90 per cent of smallholder farmers depend solely on rainfall to maintain their crops, and as a complete agricultural solutions company, Zhang explained that his outfit also engages farmers regularly to ensure correct utilization of its products and also to boost agriculture productivity.

The solutions, he indicated, are developed in line with MOFA requirements.

“Wynca Sunshine also collaborated with relevant departments of the ministry in five districts and nine communities to pilot the programme. Our plan is to get farmers to use Wynca Sunshine inputs correctly while increasing yields significantly, through correct application of production techniques. “This, we believe, would go a long way to compliment the government’s agenda of increasing food production and creating jobs,” he added.

In the future, he announced, Wynca Sunshine will do more for the development of Ghana’s agriculture and also continue with policy of bringing the latest products and techniques to Ghanaian farmers, to improve their skills and income.

In a speech read on behalf of the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto said the contributions of the private sector to economic development in agriculture development cannot be emphasized.

He made an assertion that, NPP government, should give the private sector needed space to contribute its quota to the economic development of this country.

According to him, although agric business continues to be a major livelihood activity for over 50% of Ghana’s population the sector is dominated by smallholder farmers, especially in the food crop-sector, therefore this country's food needs are saddled with limited capacity to increase productivity.

Dr Afriyie Akoto added that it is therefore important that every effort is made to provide the needed support that will enhance their capacity to make them more efficient and increase their productivity.

He further assured farmers that government will explore all opportunities to address the myriad of challenges faced by farmers, especially smallholder farmers.