0:14 [Music]
0:16 It's been 25 years since you became a
0:20 farmer. Yeah. But from your expression,
0:22 you sound like you can read and write.
0:24 Why did you not continue your education
0:26 and you decided to come to farming?
0:29 Simply because of the hardship by then.
0:32 And by then to I can say we are a
0:37 lot and our father farm like 45 acres
0:40 our father alone and my father need
0:42 help. There is no money to be taking
0:44 people to come and help him. So we have
0:46 to help our father so that we make a
0:48 farm. We don't get much money in the
0:51 farm by then but all the time we do
0:54 month hand to month and also we all the
0:57 time get food from the farm. Even I can
1:00 say my father even share a farm product
1:03 for the other community people free not
1:07 just for said to help the community
1:10 people that's what my father do by then
1:12 so I decided to join my father and do
1:14 the hard work my father do as I stand
1:17 here I learned three types of work first
1:19 I learn
1:22 blacksmith second painting the third is
1:27 butcher wow so I'm about to crown
1:30 a chief butcher in this ad community but
1:32 since I have noticed that we have now
1:35 gaining something in the farm so I
1:38 redraw the butcher work and involve into
1:40 the farm
1:43 tell me what did you gain from farming
1:45 that made you rather prefer farming over
1:49 being a chief butcher I gained a lot by
1:52 then I'm in the butcher first I'm I'm
1:55 head of my butchers because I get free meals
1:57 meals
2:00 tomatoes, onion, pepper,
2:04 cava. All those I did not buy. I did not
2:07 buy condo. I did not buy cava dough. I
2:10 don't buy meat. But all my butchers, my
2:13 meat, them all bought those things. But
2:16 I alone I did not buy. So even that all
2:18 the time I'm ahead of them. All the time
2:20 I gain a lot of money which they did not
2:23 gain. So I decided to involve into it
2:27 hard as our father do.
2:30 Anyway, so this is Ada is district and
2:33 mainly they are known for cultivating
2:35 different types of vegetables from
2:39 tomatoes, pepper, onion, okra, maze,
2:42 melon and many others. Standing next to
2:45 me is Ras and he has been doing this
2:49 work for the past 25 years. Today he
2:53 manages over 12 acres of farmland and he
2:55 grows melon. The field we find ourselves
2:58 now is a field being prepared for melon
3:01 planting the minor season. Yeah. Now
3:03 tell me a bit about melon farming in
3:07 Ada. How popular is melon farming in? Oh
3:09 melon farming is very very popular
3:11 because when we need a lot of
3:13 watermelon, we produce a lot of
3:15 watermelon from Adan here. Even this
3:17 year I can say
3:21 over four it's more than 4,000 care
3:24 trucks that come out from this village
3:27 to the city to the city.
3:29 What are some of the varieties you grow
3:30 here? We
3:32 grow sweet
3:34 shangria, sugar
3:36 dragon, gray
3:39 top, green marks because green mass they
3:44 come from sakata seed and also top gun.
3:48 We grow also
3:52 um senta which is egali. Those are the
3:55 varieties we grow here. M which time in
3:58 the year do we see farming activity
4:01 ongoing seriously in Adan East? In Adan
4:04 East we started first in the minor
4:07 season we started from 10th January to
4:10 15th February that's the time we start
4:14 from Adan here. Okay. All right. Um so
4:17 when we talk about the melon farming
4:19 what kind of soil is good for melon
4:21 farming? If I'm coming to rent land in
4:23 Adan East, what land should I be looking
4:26 for? Okay, I can say a black swell as
4:29 you see this one is it all the time
4:33 fertilize. So when you just get a little
4:36 artificial manure or then you are good
4:38 to go. Yeah. Okay. So what are some of
4:41 the preparation you do to your land
4:43 before you come? First preparation we
4:47 spray weedside. After we decide we
4:50 spread a little of artificial mana which
4:54 is either cow don or fon or even go don
4:56 but as I'm a Muslim so I don't go with
5:00 big one okay I only go with fouls goat
5:02 and sheeps right so after we spread that
5:04 then we prow it first prow and second
5:07 prow then we started planting okay how
5:11 much is plowing one acre costing in 350
5:13 cities so how many times will you plow
5:17 the land before it is ready for the next
5:20 process. We prow a week then we do the
5:23 second prow. Okay. Sometime we plow when
5:25 there is no rain as we are using bleo to
5:28 do the irrigation we water it. So when
5:30 we spread water on it then we do the
5:33 second plow plow. So two times two
5:36 times. Okay. Most of times whenever the
5:38 situation or the season is hard we do
5:41 the brow third time for the weather to
5:42 be good for the land.
5:45 When do second and third brow like this
5:48 it make the soil soft. So whenever the
5:51 sun is shine like whatever it won't
5:53 affect the plant. Okay. That's the
5:55 reason why we normally do second prow
5:57 and third brow. So whoever do second
6:00 prow and the person that do just one
6:02 brow they will never be the same. There
6:06 much different right when we f different
6:08 between the one that do second and third
6:09 brows. Where is the difference coming
6:12 from? Is it from the yield or it is from
6:14 what? From the yield. Starting from the
6:17 plant, the way the plant grow. Okay. And
6:21 even the yield, the the height there's a
6:23 match level. Okay. If like we are in the
6:25 season now, we have now started planting
6:28 like see the difference because I all
6:30 the time teach the people around here
6:32 the different first brow, second brow
6:34 and third brow. So now make people are
6:36 all the time follow second and third
6:40 brow. Okay. So tell me how much do you
6:44 buy the seed that you plant? Okay, the
6:49 seed for sugar dragon is 550 for per 100
6:56 g per air is 450 cities 500 seed per top
7:00 gun is,000 seed 680 cities. Okay. So how
7:02 many of these seed do you buy for one
7:05 acre? For one acre most at times I can
7:10 say for egali which is senta I buy three
7:13 three yeah per top gun two. Okay per
7:17 acre per dragon also two per acre but ea
7:19 most of time we have some that are big
7:22 some also are not big it depend the
7:24 place and where they have be cutting the
7:27 acre. Okay so is it direct planting or
7:29 you have to do ner and transplanting? No
7:31 direct planting. Direct planting. We transplant
7:32 transplant
7:37 tomatoes, garden egg, pepper and others.
7:39 But watermelon we did not transplant it.
7:42 Okay. Direct planting. Okay. What what
7:45 uh is the distance in between from this
7:47 point to this point? Most most of times
7:51 we use 6 7 cm sometimes. So it's 10 15
7:53 C. It depend on the varieties. Okay.
7:56 Because none of the varieties are the
7:58 same. None of them two are not the same.
8:00 All right. As this one that we are
8:04 planting now, we are giving 10 cm per
8:07 distance because of this one it move.
8:09 Okay, it move long, right? We have some
8:11 of them they are not moving long like
8:15 sugar dragon and even sweet chandria
8:18 that is east west seed. Okay. Okay. And
8:22 also top gun also it move as the egg and
8:25 top gun move. So we give the same cm for
8:28 right. Great. So after planting how many
8:31 days does it take to start shooting up
8:33 flowering before you see the fruit
8:37 coming? 3 weeks. Okay. 3 weeks. All
8:39 right. Which is 21 days. Okay. And in
8:41 total how many weeks does it take to
8:44 mature for harvest? For harvest is most
8:45 time depend on the variety and the
8:47 season. Yes. So the one you are planting
8:51 rain season like this we go 2 months 3
8:54 weeks. Most of time 3 months but dry
8:56 season like this we go 9 weeks and 10
8:58 weeks. Okay. Because of the heat of the
9:01 sun. So watermelon like heat. So when it
9:04 getting heat it do quick. But when it's
9:06 not getting heat it doesn't do quick.
9:09 It's slow. Yeah. I see. So in one acre
9:12 if all things go well how many kia
9:14 tracks will you move from your farm?
9:18 Most if things go well Mhm. most time
9:20 two K track. Most time one K and one
9:23 bongo. Okay. Most of times to one K and
9:25 oven. Okay. It depends, right? It
9:28 depends. And last year or during the dry
9:30 season, how much did you sell the Kia
9:34 track? The Kat is 5,000 50,000 per
9:37 truck, which is 500 million. Wow. And
9:40 presently, yeah. How much is it going
9:42 for now? For now, those that they are
9:46 harvesting is 800 cities for the truck.
9:48 Sorry. 8,000. 8,000. 8,000 for the
9:51 truck. Ah, Russ, you made my heart jump.
9:55 800 C,000, right? Truck. Okay. So,
9:58 normally we don't like the rain season
10:01 one. We all the time like the the dry
10:03 season. The dry season because the dry
10:05 it's not all the people that can do can
10:07 do it. It's those that can afford to do
10:10 the irrigation that do. But in the major
10:12 season like because of the rain
10:14 everybody everybody. So since everybody
10:17 do it can't print in the system. So they
10:20 did not buy. Ras for 25 years you have
10:22 been farming. What have been the most
10:24 challenging part of farming for you?
10:26 Okay, I can say financial
10:29 problem. Financial problem is one thing
10:32 because to farm one acre now at least
10:35 you have to get 20,000 for one acre. For
10:37 one acre watermelon watermelon before
10:41 everything go successful. 20,000 20,000
10:44 what? Per dry season per the minor
10:45 season. But per major season like this
10:47 when you get like 10,000 you can do it.
10:50 You can do it. But this is the place
10:52 where people lost
10:54 what time this time. This time the rainy
10:55 season. Yeah. The rain season because
10:56 the rain season one they have now
10:58 started harvesting some of them. Okay.
11:00 But I did not do that one. Okay. Because
11:03 the one that I'm doing now will go into
11:05 a little dry season. So when it started
11:11 now by 10 15th August we har this one.
11:13 Okay. So if you always want to target
11:16 the dry season, tell me what time to
11:17 what time do I do it? Because I want to
11:21 take some of Ras's money. Tell me what I
11:24 say from 10th January. Yes. To 15th
11:26 February. The first one is ready. First
11:29 one. Yeah. Okay. From January 10th then
11:33 we started planting to 15th February.
11:35 Then we end it for there. Okay. Okay. So
11:37 those that will follow apart from 50
11:40 February their price will come down by
11:42 then a lot of people own would have been
11:45 harvesting. Uhhuh. So the next one that
11:47 will go a little into the dry season is
11:48 what you are doing now around May.
11:52 Around May from 25th May to 15th June.
11:55 Okay. But I just want to plant on after
11:57 this watermelon. I'll plant on in
11:59 August. Right. That's why I normally
12:01 like to start early. Okay. Like I could
12:04 have start from 10th of June. M but
12:06 because of the onion that I'm planning
12:09 to transplant that's why I bring this
12:12 one on a little great you see I always
12:16 tell you that farming is calculation oh
12:17 true it's calculation if you don't
12:20 calculate it you never succeed you all
12:22 the time fear and beside we have book on
12:26 it the date and whatever the numbers and
12:28 days that it will take all the time you
12:29 have to be calculating so it's like
12:32 mathematics exactly that is how far
12:34 that's it Now we've talked about the
12:37 challenges but farming has been good to
12:40 you right? Very good. This 25 years I
12:42 understand that you've won an award.
12:45 What award did you win? I got a motor
12:48 bike. No the category of award you won
12:51 is what? Best farmer. Best farmer. In
12:54 which year? In 2023.
12:56 Okay. And the packages were motorbike.
12:59 Motor and what else? fertilizer and
13:03 other wetting boots, spray machine,
13:05 sack, spray machine and other. Okay.
13:09 Apart from the award, what assets
13:12 property or how have you been able to
13:14 stay for your family this 25 years for a
13:17 farmer? I make a lot of property. I get
13:21 I get over 300 cies
13:26 over 300 cis and also goat
13:29 sheeps I think I'm living in my own
13:32 house not a rent house and I have the
13:35 one that I just b to rent that one that
13:38 is not done yet I bought
13:41 over 7 acres of land that those that I
13:44 bought with my pocket money but the
13:46 place where we were now was a family
13:48 done. But I have mine that I bought myself.
13:55 Guys, I'm short of words. Those of you
13:58 sitting in office and you think you have
14:00 money, go and sit down. Go and sit down
14:02 somewhere. So if you are ready to go and
14:04 check the cus now, I can move you to the
14:05 place. I will go with you. Even this
14:08 place that now I have 15 of them here in
14:10 this community.
14:12 Thank you very much. Congratulations. I
14:15 have three cart ranch.
14:18 Africa. Most of Ghanaian youth or even
14:20 Africa, most of the youth are in a hurry
14:22 to go to America, UK, Germany,
14:25 Australia. But you, you are here.
14:27 Despite your riches, you are still here.
14:30 Why? Why are you not going? The reason
14:32 I'm not going. First, I make my mind to
14:35 go. But after searching and looking
14:38 through my way, what my director tell me
14:43 is that my lucky is here. And if I go, I
14:45 will go and suffer and what I'm planning
14:49 to go, I'll get it. But whatever I make
14:52 down before I go, I'll lost everything.
14:55 So either I stay to continue my work
14:57 here or I go. So the choice is for me to
15:00 take. Choice is for you to take. So I've
15:01 decided to leave here. Since if I go
15:04 those that I work and build down, they
15:06 have to collapse. Yes. I have to sit and
15:09 maintain them. Good. Good. Your director
15:11 really did well. Now we about wrapping
15:14 up our our interview. What will you tell
15:16 uh Ministry of Food and Agriculture,
15:19 district directors and people who have
15:21 money, what will you tell them to do to
15:23 make agriculture appealing and
15:25 attractive to young people? Okay. For
15:28 the government, I'm pleading with them
15:30 to come and help the youth in my
15:32 community. Okay. Those that did not get
15:35 boho because this place we can't create
15:39 dam. We can't drink dam. We only dr ball
15:41 hole. So if they can come and help us
15:46 with go and also to make electricity in
15:48 the system for us those are two things
15:51 that will help my community for here.
15:53 This is Zeno.
15:55 We are living in Zeno. We have Zeno at
15:58 Ashama Zeno. Zeno for Adam. Okay. And
16:01 when you say Zeno a lot of people know
16:03 Zeno because they know what we produce
16:05 and they know what we do in Zeno, right?
16:07 So I'm pleading with the government to
16:10 help us with water. So when we get water
16:13 I think we can produce a lot of plant
16:16 that we will not go outside to look for
16:18 plant or something all the time we just
16:21 go and search for food and others
16:24 outside but when we get those help in
16:27 adan we can produce a lot and even I
16:29 hope the government know what Adam do.
16:31 Yes, the government know what I don't do
16:34 because they hearing name.
16:38 Okay. Uh Ras, we are about to finish our
16:41 interview. Finally, there are a lot of
16:43 people in the diaspora abroad, they want
16:46 to come and do farming. When we come to
16:49 Ada and we want land for farming, who do
16:52 we go to? Is it family? Is it individual
16:55 or is chief? Okay. Most times we get our
16:57 most times we go to the chief. Okay.
16:59 Because we have some family land like
17:01 this the chief all the time control
17:04 them. So when we see the chiefs I think
17:06 that will be good and we have some
17:09 people too you go to the family. So it
17:12 depends that you go and the place you go
17:13 for my side like this if you come we
17:16 take you to our family right so you sit
17:19 with the family and talk. So if whatever
17:21 you need and the family know they have
17:24 it. Yeah. They come to help so that we
17:27 get more food to help Ghana. Indeed, if
17:30 you come by and you talk to him, he will
17:34 lead you to the family. If they agree to
17:35 what you want to do and they want to
17:38 sell or lease, they will discuss and
17:40 agree with you. This has been the
17:43 Ghanaian farmer. My name is Anonam, but
17:45 when you see me in town, call me Ghet
17:47 Farmer. I find myself in another
17:50 district precisely in a community called
17:53 Zueno. And here they are known for
17:56 cultivating watermelon, tomatoes,
17:59 pepper. They have some cows and goats
18:02 and sheep. But if you come to this area
18:05 in Zenu, they do a lot of things. And
18:08 with the help of Bho because there is no
18:10 dam here. So they've drilled B hole and
18:12 they've connected the irrigation tubes
18:16 and they are farming all year round. In
18:18 Ghana, we say most of our food is
18:21 cultivated by small holder farmers. And
18:24 so we need to give them the support and
18:26 the need to be able to grow more. And
18:28 that's why we are here to put the
18:34 spotlight on the best farmer 2023. He
18:37 won this district or this area. That is
18:39 what he won. He's been awarded. He has
18:41 some cows and goats and other farms and
18:43 he work with other young people. He's
18:46 doing amazing incredible things here in
18:49 farming. So if you are in or you are in
18:52 abroad and you come from Adam come and
18:54 invest in farming. How would we contact
18:57 you if we want to do farming with you?
19:00 You can talk to your people. What number
19:01 should we call 0243
19:04 0243
19:07 0471 36 0243
19:10 0243
19:13 047136 or
19:16 0257 52
19:20 5183 that's my number. Great.
19:25 Lastly, tell young people in Ghana why
19:27 they should think they should rethink
19:36 Please what message for them? Even the I
19:40 can say even the ministers are farming
19:42 but not all of them know even the
19:45 president is farming. If there is no
19:46 food and there is no money in it the
19:48 president will know involve me to
19:50 farming because he waste his money but
19:53 they know what we have in the farm. So
19:57 the youth I'm pleading with you to rise
19:59 up and let's help let's farm because we
20:02 have a lot of money in farming. So just
20:04 bring yourself out and let's do work
20:06 together so that we can help our
20:10 motherland Ghana. Thank you. Even here
20:12 my youth are all the time that you can
20:14 see some of them passing. Yes. Young
20:16 young boys they are all the time
20:17 involved into farming because they know
20:19 what they are ending in the farm. So
20:21 every season at least the money that a
20:25 lot of the youth earn in the farm they
20:28 like it. So it's simply because of there
20:31 is no if like it rain fall as you come
20:34 now you see a lot of people that are
20:36 working seriously. Okay. Thank you very
20:38 much. You're welcome. Thank you. The
20:40 full name again is what?
20:45 Amino Amadu. I come from Kaja Adam.
20:47 Okay. So that's it. Thank you very much
20:49 for watching. Remember to subscribe and
20:51 of course share the video. But if it's
20:52 anything that has to go to do with
20:55 farming in Ada, you can reach out to Ras
20:57 and he would guide you through the
20:58 process. Thank you very much for
21:02 watching. I'll see you on the flip side. [Music]
21:26 Heat. Hey, Heat. [Music]
