The Ministry of Agriculture (MoFA) has acknowledged that the current drought impacting Northern Ghana was not anticipated.
Farmers in the affected areas are calling for immediate government support due to significant damage to their crops from over a month of inadequate rainfall.
Tanko Bagbara, MoFA’s Head of Public Relations, admitted that despite ongoing collaboration with the Meteorological Agency, the ministry did not foresee the drought escalating to its current severity.
“The Ministry of Food and Agriculture has been in constant touch with the meteorological station and follows their guidance, but this level of drought was unexpected. Predicting rain-fed agriculture is inherently uncertain,” Bagbara explained.
The Ministry is now gathering information on affected farmers to facilitate government aid.
“We have started collecting data, and currently, eight regions have been impacted, including the Upper East and Northern regions. These areas have experienced drought for the past six weeks. We are compiling this data to guide future decisions,” Bagbara said.
He also noted that the President has indicated that the government will soon announce measures to address the drought’s impact. “This situation will undoubtedly affect food security, as many farms have been devastated. Even with rainfall now, recovery of these farms is unlikely. The Ministry is working on data collection, and the government will soon reveal its intervention plans,” Bagbara added.
