World Vision calls for comprehensive measures to tackle drought situation
Owing to the drought being experienced in the northern parts of the country, World Vision Ghana (WVG), an NGO, has called for a comprehensive agricultural plan to help address the situation to ensure food security.
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Also affected by the dought are the middle belt, including Bono, Bono East and Ahafo regions.
Many farmers who planted large hectares of crops have lost their investments due to little or no rain this season.
The situation in the five regions of the north is dire as large tracts of crops have wilted, leaving farmers in despair.
The organisation said the drought was a reminder of the country’s vulnerability to climate shocks and, therefore, the need to focus efforts on policies and programmes that would prepare the nation against food crisis.
The Regional Operations Manager of WVG, Francis Gumah, who made the call, added that “obviously, the country needs a comprehensive agricultural plan, coupled with commitment and dedication of leadership, as well as funding to prevent us from future crises”.
He was speaking during a ceremony to present weaving looms to some women and knapsack sprayers to 500 fire volunteer groups at Paga in the Kassena Nankana West District in the Upper East Region.
Project
The support formed part of a $5-million EU funded landscape and environmental agility project in that part of the country.
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The participants
The project, which spans four years, is aimed at conserving biodiversity, improving livelihoods of smallholder farmers and reducing emissions in beneficiary areas.
Concerns
The manager expressed concern over the situation, saying that there was the need for the construction of irrigation facilities since the weather pattern had changed and farmers could no longer rely on rain-fed agriculture to boost food production.
He said climate change was real, and that its prevalence was what had led to the erratic rainfall pattern in the five regions of the north.
“There is no doubt that the way rainfall is experienced annually has changed entirely. Farmers are losing their crops due to the drought, and this is a wake-up call to the government and other stakeholders to come up with plans that will intensify the issue of irrigation farming and other methods,” Mr Gumah said.
He also said that the drought required the government to make real commitment to the development of agriculture, including the institution of effective irrigation systems to support farmers.
While calling for a paradigm shift in agriculture to enable farmers to gauge when to expect rainfall, the manager said that shifting focus towards climate smart agriculture would immensely address the challenges in the country.
Views
In an interview, a farmer from Navio Samwuo, Anas Abdul Nasir, expressed worry over the drought situation and said many farmers in the area had lost their investments.
He urged the government to stop paying lip-service to irrigation farming and ensure the availability of boreholes and other water systems to help increase food production in the country.
Another farmer from Chiana, Patricia Adiali, said the absence of rain made it difficult for her to get water to irrigate her four-acre farm which had led to the destruction of the crops.
Writer’s email; gilbert.agbey@graphic.com.gh.