News
Farm 360 launches tree planting initiative, trains 23 women in Moringa Seedling Nursing in Adelakope
Farm 360, a leading Ghanaian agritech company, on Friday, April 17, 2026 commenced a moringa seedling nursery programme in Adelakope, near Shai Hills in the Eastern Region, under itsTree Planting and Land Restoration Initiative.
The event brought together 23 women who were trained in best practices for nurturing moringa seedlings, with over 2,500 seedlings nursed on the first day.
The one-day training session marked the official launch of Farm 360’s Tree Planting and Land Restoration Initiative, in partnership with Barka Capital Funds.
The initiative is part of a broader five-year programme that targets the planting of over one million trees including moringa, Coconut, cocoa, and rubber across Ghana’s cocoa belt by 2030, with the aim of restoring degraded lands, improving soil health, sequestering carbon, and creating sustainable livelihoods for local communities.
“Tree planting is not just an environmental act, it is an investment in our future. Every tree planted today is a step toward reversing climate change, restoring our degraded lands, and building a Ghana that is green, resilient, and prosperous.
At Farm 360, we are committed to making this a reality, one seedling at a time,” Kenneth Nelson, Chief Executive Officer, Farm 360 said.
He said a defining feature of the initiative is its deliberate focus on women and youth empowerment.
“With a target of at least 40 to 50 percent female participation across the programme, Farm 360 has positioned women at the very heart of its land restoration work,” Mr Nelson added.
For his part, income, build skills, Mr Martin Tettey Nartey, Chairperson, Farm 360 said “We believe deeply that when you empower a woman, you transform a community. This initiative is designed not just to plant trees, but to plant seeds of economic independence in the lives of these women. We want them to see that through this work, they can earn income, build skills, and stand on their own feet.”
The training was facilitated by Ms. Antionette Qasie, Project Lead for the Tree Planting Initiative, who walked participants through the full scope of the programme, its goals, timelines, and the critical role the women would play as nursery workers and future field agents.
She outlined the eight-week nursery phase, at the end of which the matured seedlings will be distributed to smallholder farmers within the Farm 360 network, as well as institutions and individuals participating in the initiative.
The practical component of the programme was led by Mr. Bismark Essilfie, Project Field Coordinator, who guided the women through hands-on trials of seedling nursing from soil preparation and seed placement to watering techniques and growth monitoring. Participants were engaged, enthusiastic, and demonstrated strong aptitude during the trials.
The Adelakope nursery is the first phase of a progressively scaling initiative. Farm 360 targets the planting of 50,000 trees in 2025, rising to 100,000 in 2026, and continuing to grow through to 2030.
Alongside the environmental goals, the initiative is projected to create between 150 and 250 direct jobs in its first year alone, rising to over 2,200 by 2030 across nursery operations, field monitoring, logistics, agronomy, and data management.
The initiative is backed by prominent international partners including Barrk Capital Fund, the Bezos Earth Fund, and the World Resources Institute (WRI), underscoring the global significance of the work being undertaken.
BY MALIK SULLEMANA
A woman who is accused of bolting with ‘susu’ money totaling GH₵156,445 has appeared before an Accra Circuit Court.
Martha Nana Esi Afful was alleged to have collected the money from 35 complainants.
Charged with 35 counts of fraudulent breach of trust, Martha, who was earlier remanded, pleaded not guilty.
The court, presided over by Mr Joseph Y. Kuunsong on Wednesday, admitted the accused person to a GH₵200,000 bail with two sureties.
One of the sureties, the court said, must be a public servant earning not less than GH₵5,000.
She is expected to reappear on August 12, 2026.
The Prosecution’s case before the court is that the complainants are traders and residents at La in Accra.
Prosecution described Martha as a ‘Susu’ collector, who resided at Burma Camp.
The court heard that the accused person run a business with the name ‘ZOE’ and she deceived the 35 complainants into believing that she collected ‘Susu’ daily, which was kept for a period of one-three years, and paid interest on the money invested.
The complainants contributed in 2023 for a three-year period, prosecution said.
In December 2025, when the complainants went to take their money with interest, Martha went into hiding and only took phone calls from a few complainants.
Prosecution said the accused provided a MTN Momo number through which a few of the complainants still paid monies.
It said all efforts made to collect the money, totaling GH₵156,445 from her, proved futile.
On June 14, 2026, a report was made to the police and Martha was picked up at a washing bay at Tse Addo.
During interrogation, she admitted the offence in her caution statement, saying she lost her husband and relocated to Swedru in the Central Region, hence the complainants were unable to reach her from December 2025 till date.
Prosecution said Martha further stated that she had invested the monies into refuse collection business and she needed time to pay the amount.
Police are investigating the claims. –GNA
A Public Health Nurse at the Roman Ridge Sub-Municipal of the Ayawaso West Health Directorate, Ms Patience Adoli Kporxah, has cautioned the public against coming into contact with floodwaters, warning that exposure can lead to serious diseases, infections and injuries.
Floodwater, she said, should always be treated as contaminated, regardless of how clean it appears, because it may contain sewage, human and animal waste, chemicals, fuel, sharp objects and disease-causing micro-organisms.
In an interview with The Spectator in Accra on Thursday, Ms Kporxah explained that contact with contaminated floodwater exposes people to bacteria, viruses, parasites, hazardous chemicals and other physical hazards that can result in illness or injury.
Her advice came in the wake of recent exposure to floodwater following Monday’s torrential rains that left vast areas of the capital flooded.
As a result, a lot of people were seen either ‘swimming’ in the floodwater to rescue people or retrieving items being washed away.
According to her, exposure to floodwater could cause skin infections, particularly where there are cuts or open wounds, as well as diarrhoea diseases such as cholera, typhoid fever, dysentery and other forms of gastroenteritis if contaminated water was swallowed.
Other health risks, she said include hepatitis A, eye and ear infections, tetanus in people with untreated wounds or incomplete vaccination, and injuries from submerged sharp objects, debris or electrical hazards.
Ms Kporxah advised anyone who had contact with floodwater to monitor their health closely and seek immediate medical attention if they develop symptoms such as fever, diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal pain, severe headache, muscle aches, skin rash, difficulty breathing, or yellowing of the eyes or skin.
She also urged people whose wounds became red, swollen, painful or begin to discharge pus, as well as those who accidentally swallow floodwater, to report to the nearest health facility without delay.
Although not everyone exposed to floodwater requires immediate treatment, she stressed that pregnant women, people with weakened immune systems, individuals living with chronic illnesses and those with significant wounds should seek prompt medical evaluation.
On water safety, Ms Kporxah cautioned that rainwater was not automatically safe for drinking or cooking, especially during or after flooding. She explained that rainwater collected from roofs, gutters or open containers could be contaminated by bird and animal droppings, dust, leaves, bacteria, viruses, parasites and chemical pollutants.
She advised that rainwater intended for drinking should first be treated by boiling, chlorination or another approved water purification method before use.
Touching on food safety, Ms Kporxah said factory-sealed bottled drinks and canned foods with intact packaging might still be safe after flooding.
However, she stressed that any containers submerged in floodwater should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before handling. Foods in paper packaging, damaged containers or products with broken seals should be discarded because contaminated water may have seeped into them.
She further warned that flooding increases the risk of outbreaks of cholera, typhoid fever and other waterborne diseases through contaminated water sources.
In addition, she said flooding could contribute to respiratory illnesses in overcrowded shelters and mould-infested buildings, foodborne illnesses from spoiled or contaminated food, and mental health conditions such as anxiety, stress, depression and trauma.
It could also disrupt access to medicines and healthcare for people living with chronic conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, asthma and kidney disease.
Ms Kporxah therefore urged the public to practice good hygiene, avoid unnecessary contact with floodwater, consume only safe food and drinking water, and seek medical attention promptly whenever symptoms develop.
She said observing these preventive measures would help minimise the risk of disease outbreaks and protect lives as the country continues to experience heavy rains and flooding in some communities.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
