Yara efforts to teach maize farmers in Ghana how to better apply fertilizer attracted the attention of news agency GNA and involved the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA). A workshop by Bright Demordzi, Commercial Manager for Yara Ghana's Southern zone, informing 150 farmers and Agriculture Extension Officers how and when to apply the correct fertilizers, became a major news story.
"The purpose of this meeting was to educate, train and interact with MOFA staff and key farmers about Yara products and the right application for higher yield," Bright says. "I also took the opportunity to inform the participants of some unscrupulous people imitating our products and explained how to detect whether products were coming from Yara or not."
News coverage of the workshop, which was sponsored by MOFA, also mentioned that a new high quality fertilizer was due to be introduced into the Ghanaian market.
"Our customers in Ghana are mostly smallholder farmers - up to 90 percent. On average they cultivate two acres of land on depleted soils with very low fertilizer supply. Education is a challenge both among farmers and at the MOFA extension officer level," explains Technical & Marketing support manager Marion Martinez.
"Since fertilizers are key to increasing yield and quality, it is our responsibility to share knowledge with all of those stakeholders," Bright adds. "To deliver the message that the right formula on the right crop at the right time is essential, Yara Ghana has developed an extensive farmer's forum program."
"During these forums we communicate the agronomic efficiency and cost benefits of our OPPs (Own Produced Product). They also provide the opportunity for farmers to interact with our agronomist/commercial manager and increase their knowledge, so they know why the reasons why they want and prefer Yara fertilizer," Marion says.
The forums are organized in collaboration with the area distributor, who is linked up with the farmers, who need to know exactly where they can buy Yara products.
"As a Yara customer you have a range of benefits - products, knowledge and a brand. As our portfolio covers all nutrients and all application types, we can develop effective crops programs for most crops in Ghana," says Marion. "What we are doing here is a way of investing in development and communication of knowledge."