Ghana: Mango farmers using ultra-high density plantation tech

Mango farmers have been taken through ultra-high density plantation (UHDP) technology to improve yields and the quality of mangoes produced in the country. UHDP is a method of optimal planting and spacing of crops to boost yield and lower production cost.

Organised by the Federation of Associations of Ghanaian Exporters (FAGE) and sponsored by the Export Development and Agricultural Investment Fund (EDAIF), the event marked the beginning of a five-year process of implementing activities in FAGE’s strategic plan to increase earnings from the non-traditional export sector.

The strategic plan, which is to be launched soon, has four broad objectives: increased production, increased market access, increased finance for export production activities, and human capacity development in export activities.

In an effort to support government’s effort at diversifying Ghana’s export base, increasing foreign exchange, creating jobs and increasing farmers’ income, EDAIF embarked on a mango plantation development project to turn the savannah regions into a mango production zone. The mango project began in 2009.

Through the UHDP method, farmers are able to plant 674 trees per hectare as opposed to 40 trees in the Southern ecological zone of the country, and the technology produces 2-3 times more fruit per acre than traditional cultivation methods.

The new method, devised in South Africa, also has the benefit of early-fruiting in three years, and farmers can triple their incomes in five years.

Source: spyghana.com