An 8-member delegation from La Cote D’lvoire Ministry of Agriculture and the National Agency for Support to Rural Development (ANADER), was in Kumasi for a week to understudy mechanized production and harvesting of cassava scientifically known as Manihotesculenta Crantz.
ANADER is a project initiated by the Cote D’Ivoire government since 1993, which operates closely with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of the country.
The delegation was hosted by Prof. Emmanuel Yao Hunuor Bobobee of the Agricultural Engineering Department of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) who invented the TEK Mechanical Cassava Harvester patented OAPI Number 17219.
The ANADER and Agric Ministry delegation was in KNUST to understudy, observe and experience the mechanized cassava production and how efficient the TEK Mechanical Cassava Harvester, which is ideal for harvesting all tropical root and tuber crops work so as to introduce same in La Cote D’Ivoire.
Interacting with The Chronicle during the demonstration at the KNUST Agricultural Research Station at Anwomaso near Kumasi last week Thursday, the leader of the delegation, Madam Koulou Nazarette, who is also the Coordinator for the ANADER project observed that mechanized cassava production, particularly harvesting during the dry season was a major problem for farmers in the sub-region.
She said the delegation was, therefore, in the country to understudy how to use the harvester and they were highly impressed with its performance, adding that she believed it would be very useful for mechanized cassava production in her country.
Mad. Koulou said cassava is the commonest crop in the sub-region, but becomes very expensive during the dry season and was grateful to the management of ANADER for sending them to Ghana to understudy the technology.
The Chief Agricultural Mechanical Engineer at ANADER, Mr.AdjiriEby said they were in the country to learn more about the Cassava Harvester, which they have heard about since the year 2016.
He said they have seen the performance of the machine and were of strong conviction that ANADER can collaborate with Ghana to develop the technology in La Cote D’Ivoire to promote easier way of harvesting cassava in particular.
He expressed the delegation’s appreciation to Prof.Bobobee for such an innovation and La Cote D’Ivoire Ministry of Agriculture, which sponsored them to Ghana to understudy the technology and said his country would soon start trying the use of the machine in LaCote D’Ivoire.
Prof.Bobobee explained that the field session was to demonstrate cassava harvesting innovation to the Ivorian delegation who were in the country to see for themselves, a demonstration of the Cassava Harvester.
He said the Ivorian Ministry of Agriculture was on a project that has to do with cassava and needed to procure equipment, which necessitated the 8-member delegation to Ghana. He stated that if the problems of cassava production in Ghana are the same as those in La Cote D’Ivoire, and Ghana was able to develop a solution, then that solution can be useful to La Cote D’Ivoire as well.
Some foreign postgraduate students of the Agricultural Engineering Department of the KNUST also joined in the field demonstration.
From Thomas Agbenyegah Adzey, Kumasi
