Abdulai Dasana, Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Amaati Group, hopes to alter the course of food production in Ghana in the future. The Tamale-based Amaati Group was founded in 2014 with the purpose of creating a market for fonio, an ancient grain that is native to West Africa.
According to Mr. Dasana, Amaati is bringing fonio back to life by assisting small-scale farmers in rural areas. The company wants to assist smallholder farmers as well as reintroduce one of Ghana’s traditional grains.
Amaati’s initiatives contribute to Ghana’s food security in addition to creating jobs and offering a wholesome substitute for other grains. This domestic production lessens the nation’s dependence on grain and cereal imports.
Amaati has expanded over the last eight years from a one-person operation to a multi-million dollar enterprise with over 40 employees.
Fonio is a drought resistant, highly nutritious millet indigenous to West Africa. Fonio is a good source of B vitamins, including thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin, which are necessary for the growth, development, and function of cells, as well as energy production.
It can grow successfully in semi-arid soil without the use of artificial fertilisers, which greatly reduces the costs for small-scale farmers.
In addition to creating jobs for the economy, growing this crop helps to ensure the nation’s food security. Fonio is a native grass that thrives in hard soil and is resilient and resistant to the long, hot dry spells that the area experiences.
In order to enhance mechanisation, Mr. Dasana stated that he would like to see greater assistance from the government. According to him, this will enable farmers to cultivate larger acreage and deliver more produce to markets.
Mr. Dasana believes that it’s only a matter of time before they catch up. “We will not just be feeding Ghana, or Sub-Saharan Africa or Africa,” said Mr. Dasana, “but the world as a whole.”