Food Insecurity Concerns Ramp Up As Drought Causes Crops To Wither In Ghana's Northern Sector
- Farmers in Ghana's northern sector are reeling from a prolonged drought in the area that is threatening harvests
- Farmers say the lack of rainfall in the past two months has stunted and wilted crops, leaving much of their farms unyielding
- They have urged the government to intervene in the situation and help mitigate the effects of the drought
Northern Ghana is facing a severe drought that is generating widespread concern about food security.
Hundreds of farmers in Ghana’s northern sector are counting their losses. A lack of rain over two months has stunted crops and withered them, dimming hopes of a successful harvest.
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The drought has badly hit rice, maize, groundnut and millet crops.
The situation has led to a sharp drop in food production and concerns about a potential food shortage and a looming famine.
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Farmers who spoke to Channel One TV expressed concern that it may be too late to remedy the situation as the rains have been delayed for too long.
They explained that ideally, they were supposed to have started harvesting their crops this month, however, due to the drought, their crops have been unable to grow.
The farmers say the situation has left them hopeless.
Meanwhile, the situation has also affected farmers in the Oti Region.
Many farmers told Adom News that their crops have wilted due to the absence of rain, diminishing any hopes of a future harvest.
Due to the drought, the Nkwanta Senior High School lost five acres of their maize farms.
According to the school’s agriculture department, the farm provided students with hands-on farming experience and was a vital food source.
The school’s management fears the drought would threaten food security.
As the drought continues, farmers have called on the government and agricultural organisations to help find a solution.
Stephen Darko, the Chief Agriculture Technical Officer in Nkwanta South, has warned that the government’s planting for food and jobs programme would struggle to meet its target if the rains do not come.
He has urged the government to implement measures to safeguard food production in the drought-hit areas.
World Bank says Ghana’s food prices highest in Sub-Sahara Africa
In 2022, the World Bank’s Africa Pulse report stated that domestic food prices in Ghana were the highest in Sub-Sahara Africa.
The report, released in October 2022, shows that domestic food inflation in Ghana climbed to 22% since January 2022.
It also affirmed the Ghana cedi as among the worst-performing currencies.
Ghana's yearly inflation for September 2022 has been stated as 37.2%, the highest in the country's history in over two decades, although some experts believe the figure is much higher.
Ghana and Ukraine to establish food hub
YEN.com.gh reported that Ukraine is planning to partner with Ghana for the construction of a logistics hub for food storage.
The hub would boost food security by allowing the storage of quality grain, promoting predictability of sales and stabilising food prices.
Ukraine's food minister, Mykola Solskyi, has made similar proposals to Nigeria and Senegal, two other West African countries, as his country deepens agriculture and trade ties.
Proofread by Berlinda Entsie, journalist and copy editor at YEN.com.gh
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Source: YEN.com.gh
