Drought Spell In Ghana's Northern Belt : Crops Wipe Out, Actors Of Agric Value Chain in Distress

Aug 27, 2024 - 12:44
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Drought Spell In Ghana's Northern Belt : Crops Wipe Out, Actors Of Agric Value Chain in Distress

News Desk Report 

(gyamemma5@gmail.com)

 A food insecurity crisis is looming in the northern belt of Ghana following a devastating drought spell that struck the regions, leaving a trail of withered crops and despairing farmers and other actors of the food value chain in its wake.

 The affected areas in the belt include Savanna, Northern, Upper West, North East, Upper East, Bono and Bono East regions of the country.

 Actors of the food value chain in the country namely farmers, hired harvesters, loaders, drivers, buyers, food vendors and consumers among others are in a state of hopelessness.

According to some farmers their crops withered in the absence of rains and are worried over what to feed their families with. 

Farmers in the regions had been eagerly anticipating a bountiful harvest, but their joy was short -lived. The rains stopped abruptly, leaving their crops on the brink of death.

 The one and half month drought, which started in late June and continued into early August, has shattered their hopes plunging the regions into food insecurity.

Abdul Shakur, a maize farmer in the Savanna region narrates his ordeal and asks for government's interventions saying that i am sad seeing my vegetables dry in the absence of rains in the farm. 

A Backyard farmer, Mr Adams Sharif who keeps a garden besides his normal job was not left out of the devastating impacts of the drought stressing that "an urgent attention is needed". 

The drought has also taken a toll on market women who rely on yam trading. At the local yam shed, traders are scarce, and those present are struggling to make sales due to the high cost of yams. 

The drought in Damongo is not an isolated incident.Many communities in the Savannah Region are facing similar challenges, highlighting the need for sustainable climate change mitigation measures. 

As the fears linger on, it is clear that urgent action is needed to address the food insecurity crisis in the northern belt of Ghana. 

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