Traditional and commercial farmers in Builsa South District of the Upper East Region have expressed fear of low crop production this year due to erratic rainfall patterns.
The situation, they say casts doubts about any a bumper harvest this year since some of their crops are already drying due to the harsh weather condition .
Speaking to A1 Radio, a member of the Commercial Farmers Association in Builsa South, Daniel Abayaa Akadina Atuilik, said, farmers are in the fix.
“Low rain, generally we know in agric that does not help in plant growth, we have just had two showers of rain which we broadcasted our rice but as it stands now, for three weeks no rain. Some of our crops are up for fertilizer application yet no rain to do so. It is sad for us here.”
He added they were expecting the government to provide a big dam like Tono dam for them but the dam they have is drying alongside their crops.
“What we are pleading the government and NGOs to come to our aid, for instance, with the government’s dams initiative if private partners can come together to expand them for us, it will help us the farmers. As I’m talking to you now I just broadcasted about 400 arcs of rice but no rain. How can we improve agricultural practices when we are being challenged with water? We need help from private partners to provide us a big dam like the one in Tono Dam so that it will help us achieve the purposes of agriculture.”
The Builsa South District Director of Agriculture, Sylvan Dauda Danna said his outfit sympathizes with farmers and pray for God’s support.
“We are encouraging the farmers not to apply fertilizers now because almost all the valleys have dried up. The weather pattern is something that is beyond man’s control so we hope God will come to their rescue. This year we expect bumper harvest and have made adequate steps in that regard. The thing is, most of our farmers this year will have gotten the chance to get the government fertilizers. So we are likely to get big yields this year and we pray for the rains.
He, therefore, assured the farmers that issues of already market of the products will be a thing of the past as the district level has taken pragmatic steps towards that.
Source:|A1radioonline.com|101.1MHZ|Moses Apiah|Ghana
