Seewu Komla Noamesi

Food production in Ghana follows seasonal patterns. This leads to gluts and scarcities and consequent price fluctuations in the absence of relevant and affordable technologies for preservation. Consequently there are heavy post-harvest losses which make producers to decrease subsequent production to only subsistence levels thus aggravating a vicious cycle of poverty and food insecurity. The objective of this project is therefore to establish and transfer technology to produce food all year round and in increased quantity by soil tower cropping with hydroponics principles and to preserve it by vacuum packing of hot ready-to-eat meals. The significance of this research is that long-life vacuum-packed ready-to-eat meals will be available throughout the year for both local and export markets and thus minimize seasonal food scarcity and price fluctuations and poverty. Post-harvest losses will be totally eliminated and this will constitute considerable gains to food producers who will thus be encouraged to increase production to commercial volumes.

In soil tower cropping, I want to grow between ten to one hundred plants in the space of one!! If the plant's root system requires a quarter cubic metre of soil, I want to build a one cubic metre tower of soil and grow four plants at its sides!! I then supply nutrient solution to this tower as in hydroponics. The taller the tower, the more the number of plants I can grow in any height of tower I can satisfactorily build. I hope to thus dramatically increase food production from one plant per unit soil area to between ten to one hundred through this idea!! What do you think of my idea? What material can I use to hold this soil tower that will permit air circulation but restrict soil erosion? Remember I am trying to solve this problem using only resources available to an African subsistence farmer in Ghana. E-mail me at snoamesi@yahoo.com

This is my most exciting idea!! After harvesting your crop, you prepare and cook it, and while it is still steaming hot, you vacuum-pack it and store it in a strong cardboard box beautifully labelled to indicate content, packing date, and a shelf life of several years (from one to twenty years depending on your storage temperature), and acknowledgement of my idea!! You eat it when you need it, sell it when you need money, and of course export as much as you want!!!. Ghanaian yam exporters especially should contact me immediately!! Other food producers can contact me also. This I believe is the solution to food security in Africa. I only need vacuum bags and a vacuum sealing machine! Electricity is not too far away in Ghana!! And of course I will train you in Good Manufacturing Practices to meet World Food Standards! Who will fund my project? Please contact me at snoamesi@yahoo.com