The Ghana Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (GIRSAL) has raised alarm that over GH¢1.18bn investments in agriculture by farmers in the middle and northern areas of Ghana are risk due to drought.
The Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet) has predicted that the areas within the transition zone of the country are likely to experience longer than usual dry spells this year which may result in severe drought.
The agency has therefore advised farmers to invest more in the seeds of improved varieties and also practice the development of yield enhancement techniques for both food crops and cash crops.
The GMet has also recommended to farmers in areas that are likely to observe normal to above normal rainfall, late season start dates and short to normal dry spells, especially those in the east coast, to focus on short maturation crops.
According to the Daily Graphic report on Thursday, the Ghana Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU) has urged the government to urgently prioritise irrigation and technological interventions in the face of the impact of climate change on the traditional farming culture in the country.
The GMet’s forecast showed that the areas such as Cape Coast (West Coast) and Ada (East Coast) will have dry spells of eight to 10 days and 13 to 16 days respectively.
GIK/APA