The Role of Communication Regarding the Effect of Irrigation on Women Empowerment Programme

Abstract

Irrigation development is very critical to the development of the agricultural sector, this is because it will ensure food security as farmers will be able to crop more than twice a year.This will improve yields and reduce rural poverty by creating rural employment which will help by ensuring yearlong agricultural production. This study examines the role of communication regarding irrigation farming and women empowerment in Ghana. The main objective of study was to identify the role of communication and the linkages between irrigation and women empowerment by offering an objective review on the subject. Data for the study was collected from eight (8) farming arrears in one of Ghana’s well known irrigation districts namely Keta Municipality. The study has revealed and established that irrigation farmers received very little extension contact, in addition agriculture information and communication gap that deny farmers from accessing irrigation and general farming information still exist, hence the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) through its extension officers should empower farmers by giving them training regarding the appropriate choice of crops for irrigation, chemical use and on general good agronomic practices to enhance their productivity. The study recommended that in order to promote smallholder irrigation in Ghana the knowledge of farmers in the existing irrigation technologies must be facilitated through frequent participation in workshops, training programs. Farmers must also be helped to get the best out of their pumps by being trained on pump selection and maintenance, crop selection and agronomic practices, the handling of crops after harvest and marketing of produce. Financial institutions should also provide access to affordable loans on reasonable terms to farmers to enable them improve their operations.