The Secretary of the Wa Zonal Outgrowers Business Network in the Upper West Region, Mujeeb Rahman Adams, has indicated that the current drought in Northern Ghana is unparalleled in its impact on agriculture which is one of the contributing sectors of GDP.
Speaking exclusively to Asaase News, he underscored that disruptions in agriculture have ripple effects on the economy and food security and require a multi-faceted approach toward mitigating the impact of the drought.
A severe and extended dry period that has decreased agricultural productivity in Ghana’s eight regions has prompted the government to immediately halt grain exports.
By taking this action, the nation hopes to preserve its grain stocks and guarantee a sufficient supply of food for domestic use.
Mujeeb said that, under an interlinking system, the recent ban on the exportation of grains by the current government should be considered in relation to the demand and supply theory.
Mujeeb who owns commercial farms in Baayiri, Buolaa and Yaru in the Wa East District prophesied that drought would lead to yield loss up to 70% or even 100%, leading to a shortage of foodstuffs, which consequently would make prices go up with an increase in the cost of living and inflation.
He said the importation of food as a countermeasure would overload the foreign exchange reserve of the country and increase the rate of cedi to the dollar.
Mujeeb suggested a series of short- and medium-term measures to deal with the crisis. Firstly, he has suggested the distribution of shorter gestation crops like sorghum and beans in the drought-affected areas, trying to make the most of the remaining farming season to avoid a total yield loss of the crops.
Secondly, he recommended the redistribution of food from the parts of the country that have surplus food to those facing shortage so that maximum internal food stock is made use of and distributed equitably.
The CEO of Misty Green Fields Company also called on the government to make sure that successful agricultural technologies in neighbouring countries, such as cloud seeding for inducing rain by Burkina Faso, are adopted. He said such technologies could be adapted to Ghana’s needs with leadership commitment and a will to act.
He additionally emphasised that the land and water management systems should be sustainable. He recommended irrigating vast expanses of land with the Black and White Volta Rivers and creating water buffers or dams in Northern Ghana, Volta, or Oti to trap excess floodwaters from the yearly Bagre Dam spillage. According to Mujeeb, these would turn destructive floods into a sustainable water resource for crop production.
He said this calls for a consolidated approach towards the implementation of these measures, adding that given the right leadership and strategies, Ghana can win the race against drought and secure its food future.
Reporting by Alhassan Tajudeen in the Upper West Region
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