Climate change, erratic rains: Kagu farmers call for irrigation systems to mitigate impact

Farmers in Kagu, a farming community in the Wa Municipality of the Upper West Region, have called on government to set up irrigation systems as a matter of urgency to save farms from destruction due to changing weather patterns.

They indicated that the impact of climate change, with its unpredictable rainfall, calls for irrigation systems that would support farms to manage and maintain them for increased yields.

They said changing weather patterns are negatively affecting crop production and household incomes.

A farmer in the community, Mary Zangu, said the unpredictable weather had significantly impacted famrs negatively and affected the ability of many families to earn a living.

"Farming has been my source of livelihood for many years, but the crops are not in good shape because of the poor rains," she said.

Ms Zangu stressed the need for irrigation facilities to enable farmers to cultivate crops during the dry season and reduce their dependence on increasingly unreliable rainfall.

She said investment in irrigation infrastructure, water-harvesting systems and climate-smart agricultural practices would improve food security, increase farmers' incomes and strengthen resilience against climate change.

She, therefore, appealed to the government, development partners and other stakeholders to support communities such as Kagu with irrigation facilities and other climate-resilient agricultural interventions.

Agriculture in Ghana depends heavily on rainfall and any disruption in weather patterns often has significant consequences for food production and farmers' livelihoods.

In recent years, rainfall has become increasingly unpredictable due to climate change, driven by rising global temperatures.

As a result, farmers, particularly smallholder farmers, continue to bear the brunt of prolonged dry spells, erratic rains and droughts.

This year's farming season is no exception. 

Erratic rains and drought

The farmers explained that prolonged dry spells, coupled with occasional heavy rainfall, are making farming increasingly difficult and threatening food security in the community.

Speaking in an interview, 35-year-old farmer Joseph Maalibo said also emphasized the need for irrigation systems saying the season started on a promising note, with adequate rainfall, encouraging farmers to prepare their lands and plant crops but the rains stopped unexpectedly shortly after planting, leaving crops struggling to survive under harsh dry conditions.

According to him, the situation is often worsened when heavy downpours occur after long dry periods, washing away crops and fertile topsoil instead of providing the steady moisture needed for growth.

"We thought this year would be different because the rains started well, but the changing climate has spoiled everything," he lamented.

Despite the challenges, Mr Maalibo said farmers remained hopeful that weather conditions would improve and that support would be provided to sustain their livelihoods, and emphasising that irrigation systems were critical to support sustaining  their farming activities.

Climate change

The Environmental Desk Officer at the Upper West Regional Department of Agriculture, Moses Achaab, attributed the rainfall patterns to the long-term effects of climate change, which he said had become increasingly evident across northern Ghana.

According to him, the Upper West Region, which depends heavily on rain-fed agriculture, is among the areas most affected by changing climatic conditions.

"The weather has become difficult to predict. Nobody can guarantee whether a particular farming season will receive adequate rainfall or not. The number of rainy days has reduced and the regular pattern of rainfall is no longer consistent," he said.

Mr Achaab noted that the impact extends beyond crop farming to water resources and livestock production.

He explained that although annual rainfall totals may appear normal, the distribution of rainfall had changed significantly.

"In the past, rainfall was spread across the season. Today, a large volume of rain may fall within a few weeks and then stop for a long period, which is not helpful for crop growth," he said.

He recalled that many farmers suffered severe crop losses due to drought in 2024, forcing the government to provide relief support to affected communities.

Adaptation measures

Mr Achaab said the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, together with development partners and non-governmental organisations, was implementing measures to help farmers adapt to climate change.

These include the promotion of climate-smart agriculture, the introduction of drought-resistant and early-maturing crop varieties and sustainable land management practices.

He explained that some improved maize varieties mature within two to three months and could withstand short periods of drought, making them more suitable under current climatic conditions.

“We cannot stop climate change entirely because many human activities contribute to it.

What we can do is adopt measures that help farmers adapt and reduce their effects," he said.

He added that tree-planting and environmental conservation initiatives were also being intensified to help mitigate the effects of climate change.v

Despite these interventions, Mr Achaab acknowledged that many farmers continue to struggle with poor yields, pasture shortages and water scarcity.

“If a farmer invests resources and cannot even recover what was invested, it becomes difficult to remain motivated.

That is why we continue to call for more support for farmers," he said.

For the farmers of Kagu, the future of agriculture increasingly depends on their ability to adapt to a changing climate. Until then, many remain at the mercy of uncertain rains and the growing challenges posed by climate change.