Deplorable roads impede farming in Afram Plains North
The Afram Plains in the Eastern Region consists of arable lands suitable for the cultivation of food crops such as maize and tubers, including yam and cassava.
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The area, which is about one-third of the region, is also notable for livestock rearing and fishing.
Fishing, which is the main occupation of the inhabitants, is done on the Afram River and the Volta Lake.
The people have, therefore, capitalised on the agricultural potential by fully engaging in it and continuing to produce more foodstuffs and livestock for both the region and the country as a whole.
Food basket
Such vast productions of food crops and livestock over the years have given the area the accolade "food basket of the region".
Such accolade continued for many years until the area faced a nose-dive in the production of foodstuffs and livestock.
That was as a result of the destruction of crops by the influx of herdsmen in the area.
Because of that, many farmers, especially mechanised ones producing on a large scale, have left the area.
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A kia truck loaded with charcoal ready to ply the poor road.
Bad roads
Poor road linking Donkorkrom to Amankwakrom
Another factor, which hinders agricultural production in the area, is the bad nature of roads linking not only the communities such as Amankwakrom, Dedeso, Agodeke, Tease, Ekye Amanfrom and Donkorkrom but also the villages and hamlets where the farmers operate.
Roads in the area, including two districts, Kwahu Afram Plains North with Donkorkrom as the capital and Kwahu Afram Plains South with Tease as the capital, are so deplorable that it makes it very difficult to transport farm produce and livestock to other places outside the area for sale.
Farmers left
The Chief of Donkorkrom Number One, Nana Akuamoah Boateng Tano II, told the Daily Graphic that such a bad situation had compelled many farmers, especially those into mechanised farming producing the bulk of foodstuffs to leave the area.
He said the area had, therefore, lost its glory in the production of foodstuffs and livestock.
"In the past, the Afram Plains was the food basket in the region but has now lost that position because of the influx of herdsmen whose animals are destroying crops, coupled with the bad nature of the roads linking the communities and the farms," Nana Tano stated.
Nana Tano stated that most drivers had stopped going to the hinterland to cart farm produce because of bad roads.
Exorbitant
The few others who went there charged exorbitantly when conveying the items, making it unprofitable for the farmers and middlemen who convey the crops to continue to be in business.
"Our district, Afram Plains North, is now the poorest because many traders, as well as mechanised farmers, have left the market and that has adversely affected revenue, making the assembly unproductive in terms of development projects.
"The future looks gloomy," he indicated.
Nana Tano, therefore, appealed to the government to see how best to address the challenges to enable the area to revert to its past glory as the "food basket" of the area.
Roads rehabilitation
The Chief of Kwahu Asabi Amankwakrom, Nana Otukwa Mpareko VI, also stated that the only way to address the challenges was to immediately rehabilitate all the bad roads in the area.
He said buyers of foodstuffs in the area had now turned their attention to Bono and the northern regions at the disadvantage of farmers in the area.
"Many of the vehicles transporting foodstuffs from the area normally break down and foodstuffs get rotten and, therefore, they do not come back to our area to buy the foodstuffs," the chief stated.
Nana Mpareko said if the bad roads linking the farming communities were rehabilitated, it would make farming very attractive again in the area.
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Overall best farmer speaks
The 2023 Overall Best Farmer in the Afram Plains North District, Eliasu Yakubu, said the bad nature of the roads linking to their farms and other communities was affecting their farming activities.
He appealed to the government and other relevant stakeholders in the agricultural sector to immediately intervene to address the problems associated with farming in the area.
DCE speaks
The District Chief Executive (DCE) for the Afram Plains North, Isaac Ofori Koree, who described the bad nature of the roads in the area as appalling, said his outfit had informed the Eastern Regional Minister, Seth Kwame Acheampong, as well as the Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwasi Amoako-Atta, about the issue.
He said they had assured him that the deplorable nature of the roads in the area would be given a facelift this year since farmers were finding it difficult to convey their foodstuffs to the market centres.
Mr Koree, therefore, encouraged all and sundry, more especially the youth in the area, to venture into farming since the government was committed to bringing out policies and programmes that would largely benefit the youth and those who were ready to do full-time farming.
The area, he stated, was once the food basket of the Eastern Region but the road network had been a major challenge facing farmers to produce more to feed the region and the country as a whole.
Mr Koree appealed to the farmers to exercise patience as the government was taking steps to rehabilitate the bad roads in the district, especially roads linking the communities to their farms.
When the Daily Graphic visited the area last Monday, it observed that the 75-kilometre road from Ekye Amanfrom to Donkorkrom was in a bad state and that was hampering farming activities in the area, compelling the farmers to abandon their farms for other means of survival.
Other farmers also complained bitterly about post-harvest losses as most of their farm produce are often left on the farm to rot due to the poor road network.
It also noticed that most of the communities had high levels of poverty, low levels of school attendance and worse health conditions.
Writer's email:haruna.wunpini@graphic.com.gh