The Upper East Region could significantly increase food production and support year-round farming if the full potential of its irrigation infrastructure is utilised, according to Managing Director of the Irrigation Company of the Upper Region (ICOUR), Dr Dominic Anarigide.
Dr Anarigide said the Tono and Vea irrigation schemes have sufficient water to support more intensive agricultural production, including multiple cropping cycles for some crops.
“If we plan very well, we can even do three times a year for some crops in Vea and Tono because we have the water,” he said.
He, however, identified underutilisation of irrigation facilities, maintenance challenges and problems with parts of the Vea canal system as constraints preventing farmers from taking full advantage of the available water.
As part of efforts to expand year-round production, ICOUR is targeting 500 hectares under the Tono and Vea irrigation schemes for tomato cultivation.
At Tono, Dr Anarigide said preliminary figures put average rice yields at 6.9 tonnes per hectare, although farmers continue to face challenges securing reliable markets for their produce.
He said attention must shift from merely having irrigation infrastructure to ensuring the facilities function efficiently and enable farmers to produce throughout the year.
Dr Anarigide argued that fully utilising the region’s irrigation potential could increase food production, create employment opportunities and reduce farmers’ dependence on increasingly unpredictable rainfall.
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