Welcome Address By Head of Centre
Welcome to the Forest and Horticultural Crops Research Centre (FOHCREC)
The Forest and Horticultural Crops Research Centre (FOHCREC), Okumaning - Kade is one of the three Research Centres of the School of Agriculture, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana. The Centre was established in 1957 to conduct research into forest and horticultural crops. It is located at Okumaning in the Denkyembour district in the Eastern Region of Ghana, which is about 125 km from Accra.
The vision of the Centre is to be a leading research institution in humid tropical agricultural research, teaching, and extension, with major emphasis on forest-based crops and livestock.
The mission of the Centre is to develop sustainable agricultural production systems suitable for the humid tropical environment to enhance food security and improve livelihood in Ghana through teaching, training, and extension.
FOHCREC offers practical farming training to young and prospective farmers under the Leventis Foundation Farmers Training Program.
FOHCREC operates within specialized units namely:
- Crop Production and Environmental Management Unit,
- Crop Improvement and Conservation Unit,
- Crop Protection Unit and
- Agribusiness and System Innovation Unit.
The Production and Environmental Management Unit produces healthy planting materials of forest and horticultural crops grown in Ghana, particularly citrus, rubber, oil palm, avocado, mango, plantain, and cocoa. The Centre’s nursery is a source of healthy planting materials for farmers in the country. The unit also conducts research into integrated soil fertility management to develop appropriate soil fertility management options for various crops in Ghana. Soilless growing media for raising planting materials of crops such as cocoa, oil palm and plantain have also been developed by this unit. Recently, the unit has developed a low-cost small-scale drip irrigation system for smallholder farmers in Ghana.
The Crop Improvement and Conservation Unit develops and evaluates/screens farmer- preferred crop varieties that are suitable for the Ghanaian environment. Most of the citrus and cola varieties cultivated in Ghana were developed by this unit. The unit is also charged with the conservation of germplasms for most of the indigenous and exotic tree crops grown in Ghana. Notable among these crops are citrus, cola, avocado, rambutan, mango and rubber.
The plant protection unit also conducts research into novel way of combating disease and insect pests of both horticultural and food crops cultivated in Ghana. These include but are not limited to citrus Black Spot (Guignardia citricarpa), Angular Leaf Spot (Pseudocercospora angolensis) and insect pests (fruit flies). This unit is also currently researching into botanicals for use in controlling insect pests of vegetables.
The Agri-Business and System Innovation Unit also conducts research into agribusiness management and micro and medium agricultural enterprise management. The unit also serves as an interphase between the Centre and the public, and conducts research into getting feedback from the public on research products developed by the Centre.
The Envirodome Greenhouse unit is a recent introduction at the Centre which seeks to train University students and the youth in the production of vegetables for both the export and the domestic market. The unit also investigates into challenges associated with greenhouse vegetable production in Ghana.
The Centre is open to research collaborations.
-Dr. Lemuel Ohemeng Mintah
Head of Centre