The lack of rainfall in parts of the country for several weeks is affecting farming and raising concerns about potential food scarcity and price hikes in agricultural produce.
Although it is the farming season, the northern part of the country, as well as the middle belt, have seen little to no rain for the past two months, devastating crops and leaving farmers distraught.
Some affected farming communities in the Bono area include Techiman, Kintampo, and Nkoranza with the southern part of the Volta Region and the Greater Accra Region also experiencing the same ordeal.
In some of these areas, farmers have been waiting for rain to plant crops, but the expected rainfall has not materialised, while those who have planted have experienced crop failures.
The situation has become so critical that some Imams have resorted to prayer, appealing to God for much-needed rainfall for this year’s farming season, which began in April, to be fruitful.
The Chief Executive Officer of Tibzaa Farms at Sakoya in the Northern Region, Mahama Sintaro, expressing his frustration in an interview, said his maize and rice farms close to 2,000 hectares were drying up due to the lack of rain.
Another farmer Ayass Gazalle, conveyed worry about repaying his bank loan, saying, “I would be in bad business if we don’t get rain now.”
An Agriculture Extension Officer of Tigo community, Laar Emmanuel, described the situation as unprecedented and attributed it to the unpredictability of rain patterns and the drying up of water bodies.
In an interview, a board member and former Executive Director of the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG), Dr Charles Nyaaba, corroborated the concerns raised by the farmers.
He said the drought’s impact in the middle belt was even more severe than in the north, leading to significant crop failures and forcing farmers to either replant or abandon their fields.
He said farmers in the middle belt who should have been harvesting by now are facing total losses, with maize crops in the north completely burned.
To address these challenges, Dr Nyaaba suggested adopting water storage and irrigation practices used in other countries, such as creating dams and dugouts to store water for irregular rain patterns.
He advocated immediate government intervention to support affected farmers and emphasized the need for long-term strategies, including sustainable agricultural practices and environmental protection to combat desertification.
He warned of potential food security issues, predicting limited food supply and escalating food inflation, which could lead to increased reliance on imports.
The CEO of the Chamber of Agribusiness, Anthony Morrison, said that as a result of the drought, the southern Volta Region was experiencing reduced tomato and watermelon yields.
He predicted that widespread agricultural losses would necessitate increased food imports in coming years, while the poultry sector could be affected due to the lack of grains.
He called for a strategic response involving government agencies, improved infrastructure, and better data management, as well as the establishment of a National Agricultural Risk Management Agency to address such emergencies.
When contacted, the Deputy Director in charge of Synoptic Meteorology and Forecasting at Ghana Meteorological Authority (GMet), Joseph Portuphy, clarified that the current situation could not be classified as a drought yet, but rather a dry spell in the coastal and middle belt regions.
He attributed the current weather issues to “climate variability” rather than long-term climate change, pointing out that local factors like deforestation and river destruction contribute to unpredictable weather patterns.
He, however, gave the assurance that the situation would change in a few weeks.
Efforts to get a response from the sector ministry, through the Public Relations Office, were unsuccessful. However, the Ghanaian Times sources at the Ministry said a crunch meeting was yesterday held on the situation.
BY JONATHAN DONKOR, ACCRA & YAHAYA NUHU NADAA, TAMALE
