CRI-RSA INITIATES STUDENTS IN AGRICULTURE PROGRAMME
Involving the new generation in agriculture is crucial to Ghana’s development.
With this in mind, the Research Staff Association (RSA) of the CSIR-Crops Research Institute, (CRI-RSA) has embarked on a program dubbed “Students in Agriculture Program” (SAP).
This program is aimed at promoting a healthy interest in modern agricultural technologies, specifically those developed by the CSIR-CRI, among students and staff of Senior High Schools and Agricultural Colleges in Ghana.
This initiative is the association’s contribution to strengthen the teaching, learning, and involvement of youth in modern agriculture in Ghana.
The first edition of the program was held at St. Louis Senior High School. The students and staff of the school were engaged in the establishment of maize and cowpea fields using CSIR- CRI varieties. Planting of these varieties took place on Wednesday 21st September, 2022 at the school.
The maize varieties planted included CRI Omankwa and CRI-Abontem while the cowpea varieties included CRI Zamzam and Tona.
The “Students in Agriculture Program” is led by Dr. Priscilla Ribeiro, a Senior Research Scientist and Maize Breeder at the CSIR-Crops Research Institute and also the founder of African Girls and Women in Agriculture (AGWA), a non-governmental, not-for-profit organisation, that aims at encouraging African girls to pursue agriculture as a career.
This is the first edition of the Students in Agriculture Program. It is our hope that this initiative will continue to grow, impact and enlighten many students in Ghana about the relevance of Agriculture for many years to come, Dr. Ribeiro indicated.
List of contributors: Dr. Priscilla Francisco Ribeiro, Dr. Sylvester Addy, Mr. Asamoah Adjei, Bernard Sakyiamah, Augustine Ofosu, Enoch Osei Tutu, David Kow Amo, Patricia Konadu Mensah, Enoch Bobie Agyemang, Peter Amankwaah
