{"id":89442,"date":"2025-08-12T11:51:27","date_gmt":"2025-08-12T11:51:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=89442"},"modified":"2025-08-12T11:51:27","modified_gmt":"2025-08-12T11:51:27","slug":"mango-farmers-reap-big-as-ppedco-turns-crop-disease-into-a-success-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=89442","title":{"rendered":"Mango farmers reap big as PPEDCO turns crop disease into a success story"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n \t<\/i> Read Time:<\/span>3 Minute, 51 Second <\/div>\n\n <\/div>
\n

For years, mango farmers in parts of Ghana watched helplessly as a deadly plant disease, Bacterial Black Spot (BBS), destroyed their farms. The disease caused lesions, rotted the fruits, and crippled livelihoods. But today, in many farms across Kintampo North, the BBS are gone, thanks to the work of a local agricultural company, Plant Pests and Diseases Control Company Limited (PPEDCO).<\/p>\n

\u201cI lost almost everything to the disease,\u201d one farmer, Eric Kwame Adjei, recalled, holding a flawless mango with a smile. \u201cThe trees would flower, and the fruit would then rot. I was giving up. Now I plan to expand my farm. I owe that to PPEDCO.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Mango<\/figure>\n

Mr Adjei owns a 6-acre mango farm. This year, he harvested about 10 tonnes of mangoes, the equivalent of two KIA truckloads, instead of the expected 60 tonnes or ten truckloads. Between 2018 and 2022, Mr. Adjei should have harvested about 240 tonnes. Instead, he managed only 40 tonnes, losing 200 tonnes of mangoes to BBS.<\/p>\n

\"Mango<\/figure>\n

\u201cThe disease has cost me more than money. It has drained my energy and hope,\u201d he said. \u201cIf not for PEPCO\u2019s intervention, I would have abandoned the farm.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to PPEDCO, the breakthrough came through a targeted plant health program designed to combat Mango Bacterial Black Spot. The system uses a mix of biological and organic treatments combined with timely spraying schedules. In pilot farms, the company recorded 100% control of the disease and, for the first time in years, 100% yields.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur model focuses on the tree\u2019s immunity, not just killing the bacteria,\u201d explained a PPEDCO Managing Director, Yaw Asenso Mensah. \u201cThis way, we protect the plant naturally while improving soil health.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Mango<\/figure>\n

PPEDCO has also committed to reducing chemical dependency among farmers, promoting organic farming practices that are safer for people and the environment. \u201cWe believe the future of agriculture is green,\u201d said the company\u2019s managing director. \u201cOrganic isn\u2019t just safer, it\u2019s sustainable.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Mango<\/figure>\n

Another biggest success stories comes from Baffour Daniel, owner of a 25-acre mango plantation planted in 2016. For years, BBS wiped out most of his yield. \u201cUntil last year, I harvested about 5 tonnes,\u201d Baffour said. \u201cAfter consulting with PEPCO, this year I harvested 40 tonnes.\u201d<\/p>\n

The difference, he explained, came from PEPCO\u2019s targeted plant health program, which uses biological and organic treatments with timely spraying schedules. The company has also begun pruning and treating its entire farm, a process Baffour believes will protect future harvests. Inspired by the results, he plans to expand his farm from 25 to 50 acres.<\/p>\n

In Baffour\u2019s words: \u201cThis year\u2019s harvest has changed my story. I believe the best is yet to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOur model focuses on the tree\u2019s immunity, not just killing the bacteria,\u201d said a PEPCO managing director. \u201cThis way, we protect the plant naturally while improving soil health.\u201d<\/p>\n

PEPCO is also allowing agricultural graduates and students to gain hands-on experience in disease diagnosis, organic farming, and agro-entrepreneurship.<\/p>\n

Currently, four students from the Wenchi College of Agriculture and Applied Technology are interning with PEPCO on Baffour\u2019s farm. Among them are Iddi Abdul Wakil and Awudu Murjanatu, who spend their days learning practical farming skills while helping to rehabilitate the plantation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is what we didn\u2019t get in class,\u201d said Murjanatu. \u201cHere, we learn everything from identifying plant diseases to preparing natural inputs.\u201d<\/p>\n

PPEDCO\u2019s Managing Director believes the mission goes beyond treating trees. \u201cWe want a Ghana where no farmer is afraid of diseases, and where youth see agriculture as an opportunity, not a fallback,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is what we didn\u2019t get in class,\u201d said one trainee, Mumuni Abdul Gafaru. \u201cHere, we learn everything from identifying plant diseases to preparing natural inputs.\u201d<\/p>\n

PPEDCO is also driving a new initiative encouraging farmers to adopt organic mango plantations. One such farmer is Nobert Akugurugu, a physician assistant who owns a 10-acre organic mango farm planted in April 2022.<\/p>\n

Nobert has been working closely with PPEDCO on best practices for organic farming. \u201cI\u2019m excited about this investment,\u201d he said. \u201cEven though I\u2019m yet to start harvesting between the 4th and 5th year, I believe it\u2019s worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr Mensah from PEPCO confirmed that Nobert\u2019s farm is being treated only with organic chemicals. He added that PPEDCO is currently working on 20 organic mango farms across the Kintampo area, aiming to make organic mango production a major part of the Bono East\u2019s agricultural economy.<\/p>\n

Farmers now speak of full harvests instead of losses, and young agriculturists are gaining the skills to keep Ghana\u2019s food systems strong.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n \n
\n \n \"Happy\"\n <\/a>\n
\n Happy <\/div>\n
\n 0<\/span>\n \n 0<\/span> %<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n \n \"Sad\"\n <\/a>\n
\n Sad <\/div>\n
\n 0<\/span>\n 0<\/span> %<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n \n \"Excited\"\n <\/a>\n
\n Excited <\/div>\n
\n 0<\/span>\n 0<\/span> %<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n \n \"Sleepy\"\n <\/a>\n
\n Sleepy <\/div>\n
\n 0<\/span>\n \n 0<\/span> %<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n \n \"Angry\"\n <\/a>\n
Angry<\/div>\n
\n 0<\/span>\n 0<\/span> %<\/span>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n \n \"Surprise\"\n <\/a>\n
Surprise<\/div>\n
\n 0<\/span>\n 0<\/span> %<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n ","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\"MangoFor years, mango farmers in parts of Ghana watched helplessly as a deadly plant disease, Bacterial Black Spot (BBS), destroyed their farms. The disease caused lesions, rotted the fruits, and crippled livelihoods. But today, in many farms across Kintampo North, the BBS are gone, thanks to the work of a local agricultural company, Plant Pests [\u2026]<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":89443,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_2277560469115098_106292521332774":"","twitter_aToxNzczMzI3Njk4OTg4ODUxMjAxOw==_1773327698988851200":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6397,6398,117,10,9,6399],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-89442","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mango","category-mango-farmers","category-news","category-politics","category-popular","category-ppedco"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89442","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=89442"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89442\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/89443"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=89442"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=89442"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=89442"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}