[ 2014-08-25 ]

Masara N’arziki And The Impact In The Northern Sector Of Ghana
...The Untold Story

Masara N’ Arziki farmers Association (MAFA) was
established almost a decade ago with the concept
of lending support to small and medium scale
holder farmers to adopt good agricultural
practices. True to its vision, farmers under the
Masara N’ Ariziki project have experienced high
yield over the years due to the use of improved
seeds.

Hence their lives have improved better than before
Masara N’Arziki (meaning “Maize for
Prosperity”) has its headquarters in Tamale in
the Northern Region and covers the entire Northern
part of Ghana (i.e. Northern Region, Upper East
and Upper West Regions.

The award winning farmers association was recently
adjudged the best professional services and trade
organization in the North at the just ended
Northern business fair in August 2014.

Although the operations of Masara N’ Ariziki
have led to an increase in maize production over
the years, Ghana unfortunately still has a maize
supply deficit.

Masara N’ Ariziki has over the years supported
maize farmers to receive more income through the
use of improved technology which has increased
productivity.

Indeed the provision of fertilizers, hybrid seeds,
herbicides, insecticides, spraying equipment,
training of farmers on innovative farming
practices, training on credit basis has culminated
in the impeccable success story of the
association.

Over the last five years, the Association has been
working hand in hand with various service
providers including the media as a tool of getting
connected to the people.

Currently, the association is recognized as the
biggest maize farmers’ association in West
Africa. Although it started with a modest
membership of 1,500, the association is currently
the largest maize farmers association in West
Africa, with registered members of over 11, 500
individual farmers in 2013/2014 farming season.

Employment:

Officially, the association currently has 125
working staff on their monthly pay row, service
providers and indirect beneficiaries who are
virtually employees, are over 1000 people. All
these people and their families depend on the
operation of Masara N’ Arziki as their source of
livelihood. According to official records, the
association has paid GHC 192,000 to loading boys
working for Masara on haulage.

Over GHC 100,000 is been spent, for media
engagement on sponsored radio programmes,
advertisement and on publication. A lot of
acknowledgement are received on their continues
extra ordinary effort in curbing the bush fire
menace.

Farmers

Masara undoubtedly has contributed significantly
to the socio-economic transformation of the people
in its operational areas and Ghana at large. The
benefits of the operations of Masara are very
visible in its catchment areas as it continues to
develop the people in different ways.

Over the last two farming season member of the
association in Sissala West and East districts
have made profit of GHC10, 000,000. Springing up
of decent houses and improved living conditions
among farming communities under the MAFA project
are clear examples of its success stories. Most
non-Masara farmers are currently facing challenges
as a result of lack of subsidy on farm inputs.

As a result of the huge cost involved, most of
these farmers have decreased the number of
hectares they cultivate. They are unable to afford
the current prices for inputs as they are not part
of the MAFA project to enjoy the easy access to
affordable credit in a form of high quality
inputs, guaranteed markets to members, group
marketing to obtain better prices and among
others

Transporters:
Transporters who are engaged in the carting of
Masara produce from their farms to various
warehouses, on records have received over GHC4,
493,264.22 as payment in the just ended farming
season for haulage. Indeed that amount is only
captured in the Tumu zone out of the seven zones.

Corporate Social responsibility:

Masara N’ Ariziki farmers Association, as a
corporate body is not oblivious to the fact that
it has to undertake its social responsibility. It
has therefore over the past six years supported
the annual farmers day celebrations in its
catchment areas in diverse ways, improved seeds,
inputs and others are given to support the
occasion for on ward distribution to best farmers
across every district it operates.

Again the $100 dollars fee paid by groups who come
to Masara to solicit information to complement
their research is used to support schools under
development.

Development:

Beyond all these development and aside the taxes
paid to various taxe agencies, MAFA has paid
GHC302, 799.18 tax levy for withholding tax and on
rent. GHC250.OOO was paid to the East and West
Sisala district assemblies in the Tumu zone,
Indisputably the highest tax paying organization
in the area. This mammoth tax levy which is
referred to as export levy needs to be attended
to, this high tax is consequently slapped on the
ordinary farmer and has the potential of hindering
the the growing Association and over burden
farmers. Instead, our gallant farmers should be
well motivated in terms of taxation. Although
several attempts have been made to impress on the
assemblies to review the high tax system
moderately but have turn futile.

With the absence of subsidy this year, some of the
untold good stories of MAFA have started
unfolding. Members of the MAFA are offered a bag
of fertilizer at GHC 85.00 accompanied with early
delivery to farmers. This is attributed to
bargaining power as a cooperative entity, Whereas
bag of fertilizer is sold between GHC100.00 and
GHC 110.00 in the market.

It is about time we all join hands to laud and
sing the untold success stories of the
lives-changing project, as it has been
acknowledged at the world economic forum in Davao.
Call it "the Messiah of farmers in Northern
Ghana”, as it has extended its tentacles into
other crops such as soya beans, sorghum, onions
and lately cotton.

Thankfully all members of MAFA received their
inputs in the right quantities and at right time,
completely different from complains from other
quarters. Reference can be made to the Tuesday,
August 20,2014 edition of the daily graphic in the
center page story of star Ghana and Diamond Fm
collaboration forum.

To accomplish sustainability in food security and
empowerment of members, MAFA does not only add
value to their produce, they are also into serious
production. Over 40,000 tons of maize were
produced in the 2012/2013 farming season over 39%
supplements to the maize deficit in Ghana.

IS THIS NOT WHAT GHANA ECONOMY NEEDS?

Source - Prosper Agbenyega

... go Back