Smallholder farmers need support
The rainfall pattern in recent times, occasioned by climate change, has adversely affected food production and threatens food security in the country.
Climate change has altered our normal and natural way of doing things, so farmers are no longer able to tell when the farming season begins and have, on some occasions, had to go all over again because what was earlier sown withered because of the unduly long dry spell.
For instance, in March this year, the Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet) hinted at prolonged dry spells expected to hit many parts of the country at the start and end of this year’s rainy season.
Last year, the country experienced a similar weather situation that affected farmers at the beginning of the farming season, resulting in the ECOWAS Regional Food Security Reserve donating 500 tonnes of cereals to be distributed to farmers in the hardest hit regions.
The Daily Graphic thus applauds the launch of the initiative dubbed “Agricultural Growth and Improvement for Livelihood Enhancement” (AGILE), to strengthen climate resilience, agricultural productivity and sustainable water resource management for smallholder farmers in the Northern Region.
The project is being implemented by the Catholic Relief Services (CRS), in collaboration with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Water Resources Commission, and the Savelugu and Kumbungu district assemblies, with funding support from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The beneficiary districts are Kumbungu and Savelugu, specifically in communities along the Nawuni sub-catchment of the White Volta River Basin.
The three-year initiative aims to boost crop yields, increase household incomes and strengthen the resilience of smallholder farmers in the Savelugu Municipality and Kumbungu District in the Northern Region.
The project is expected to directly benefit approximately 3,325 farmers and have an indirect positive impact on over 31,000 residents across the beneficiary communities.
We believe that the initiative would enhance integrated water resource management to ensure reliable access to water.
While commending the partners of this laudable novel project, the Daily Graphic calls for the rollout of the project, at least, in the whole of the northern sector, where there are more smallholder farmers and the rainfall pattern has been erratic in recent times.
We believe that the project has the potential to address the food situation in the country, particularly in the north, which has been described as the food basket of the country.
It is a fact that smallholder farmers are the ones who ensure that food is on our dining tables every day. However, they face critical challenges, including erratic rainfall, land degradation and limited market access, all of which hinder their ability to thrive.
The AGILE programme is, therefore, a great initiative that does not only support the resilience of food production, but goes a step further to assist farmers to access the market for their produce, thereby increasing household incomes.
The importance of the AGILE initiative for us at the Daily Graphic is its ability to facilitate access to markets and inclusive financial services for smallholder farmers, to boost their incomes and economic opportunities.
Many smallholder farmers have painfully watched their farm produce waste away due to the lack of access to markets. Some also have to sell theirs at ridiculously low prices because of the glut.
As we commend the AGILE project, the Daily Graphic wishes to appeal to other partners to also develop and implement similar initiatives nationwide, particularly among smallholder farmers, to boost food production — a key requirement for food security.
