The Irrigation Company of Upper Region (ICOUR) currently lacks funds to fully carry out its mandate of helping farmers in the region by providing water through irrigation to complement the rains, so that the farmers can maximize their agricultural yields each year.
Established in 1985 by the Government of Ghana, ICOUR was given the mandate of managing the Vea and Tono irrigation projects here in the Upper East Region by providing farmers with water all year round, so they can produce food crops for domestic and commercial consumption.
However a Yikene- based crop farmer, Joseph Akugrevaala Adongo speaking to Albert Sore on Day break Upper East last week, lamented that ICOUR has not been helpful to dry season farmers who benefit from the Vea Irrigation project for some years now.
Managing Director of ICOUR, Alhaji Bukari Issah explained that the company needs about seven million Ghana Cedis to fix a damaged ten-kilometer canal from the Vea dam which serves Zaare, Yikene and Sumbrungu farmers.
Speaking to Albert Sore on Daybreak Upper East on Wednesday, he said the Vea dam was constructed in 1965 and has not seen any major rehabilitation since then. Therefore the canal on the left bank which was not lined with concrete during construction has eroded and can no longer hold water.
Alhaji Issah said the levies ICOUR collects from the farmers who benefit from the irrigation facility at the dam are not enough to fund a rehabilitation of the canal. He therefore called for government’s intervention.
By: Albert Sore | A1radioonline.com | Ghana
