Agents of local rice farmers at Bonia, a suburb of Navrongo in the Kasena-Nankana Municipality of the Upper East Region, are crying out for support due to various challenges confronting their livelihoods.
The farmers face significant difficulties, especially the lack of space to dry their rice. This challenge has led to post-harvest losses, reduced grain quality, and economic hardship for the farmers.
The absence of adequate drying facilities often compels farmers to resort to using abandoned fuel stations or other unsuitable spaces to dry their rice, exposing it to impurities, stones, and the hazards of unexpected rainfall.
Speaking on behalf of the Bonia Rice Farmers Association, Alexander Azuliba appealed to government, stakeholders, non-governmental organizations, and the Irrigation Company of Upper East Region (ICOUR) to intervene. “I know traders travel all the way from the southern part of the country to buy our local rice to feed the nation. As farmers, we lack fence wire to protect our farms, and we also don’t have enough platforms and pavilions to dry our rice,” he stated.
A community member, Justice Achaah Adoah, who also worked with Federated Food Processing Limited, lamented the struggles faced by the farmers. He described the lack of drying platforms and the high cost of paying women to dry the rice as unbearable. “We are happy to share with you the challenges confronting us as paddy rice farmers. Women spend more than three days drying the rice, and we must pay them daily. Because of these costs, about thirty-eight farmers have left the association,” he explained.
The Chief of Bonia, Kwaraseh Salifu Akumbasiya, who is also a farmer, appealed to government, NGOs, and stakeholders to support them with drying platforms, spreading canopies, and the formation of farmer groups to buy rice in bulk, as individual buyers often cheat them.
The Chief added that with collaboration from government agencies and non-governmental organizations, the challenges facing rice farmers in Navrongo could be addressed, ultimately promoting sustainable agricultural development.
Source: A1Radioonline.com | 101.1 MHz | Joseph Napoleon Anaaya | Bolgatanga
