Vegetable farmers at Duong, a community in the Nadowli-Kaleo District are appealing to the Upper West Regional Directorate of Agriculture to support them with extension officers.
The farmers say despite the huge number of farms in the area, they have been unable to access extension services.
Speaking to the GBC at Duong, one of the farmers, Michael Kogu said the lack of education on crop diseases, pest and insect attacks as well as proper fertilizer use affect the yields and incomes of the farmers.
He said the use of agro-chemicals and fertilizers has largely been an issue of ‘try and error’ in Duong.
Farmers in the area engage in the cultivation of vegetables during the dry season. The vegetables include tomatoes, peppers, onions and cabbages.
For many years, the farmers depended on hand dug wells for water for their plants.
Earlier this year, government through the Ministry of Food and Agriculture MOFA and the Ghana Irrigation Development Authority (GIDA) completed the construction of a dam to allow farmers cultivate vegetables through the dry season.
The farmers say the due to the size and depth of the dam, they are confident they will have water for the vegetables during the entire dry period.
A farmer, Michael Kogu appealed to government to provide water pumping machines and other irrigation materials. He said this will aid the farmers who farms are further away from the dam.
Mr Kogu urged government to consider putting up cold storage facilities for the storage of vegetables. He also appealed for markets for the vegetables they produce.
He said nearby communities like Nator, Sombo and Sankana all produce vegetables in huge quantities. This Mr Kogu said, will lead to gluts; thus affecting the incomes of farmers.
He called for stakeholders to urgently address all the challenges facing farmers in the area to reduce rural-urban migration during the long dry periods the region faces.
The Upper West Regional Director of Agriculture, Emmanuel Sasu-Yeboah said steps are being taken to ensure that agriculture extension services reach farmers in all areas across the region.
Touching on the construction of dams, Mr Sasu-Yeboah said 7 dams are being constructed by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) and the Ghana Irrigation Development (GIDA) under the One Village One Dam while the construction of 110 others are being facilitated by the Ministry of Special Development Initiative.
The seven (7) dams being constructed by MOFA and GIDA are located at Sentuu (Lambussie District), Torkun (Nandom Municipality), Tuopare (Nandom Municipality), Kataa (Wa East District), Degri (Jirapa Municipality) and another in the Wa West District.
According to Mr Sasu-Yeboah, six (6) of the seven (7) dams have been “substantially completed.” This he said means that the dams are ready for use.
He said phase two of the dams, which should include the fencing and demarcation of farmlands would begin soon. Touching on the other 110 dams, the Regional Director of Agriculture stated that reports from the Ministry in September indicated that contractors had possessed 83 of the 110 dam sites. Meanwhile, 57 dams have also been substantially completed.
To ensure proper maintenance of the dams, Water Users Associations are expected to be formed by the various Municipal and District Assemblies with supervision from both MOFA and GIDA.
These Associations will be in charge of maintaining and carrying out repair works on the dams.
Mr Sasu-Yeboah said the presence of many dams and dugouts in the region means more farmers can engage in dry season farming while livestock will also increase due to adequate water in the communities.
Story Filed By: Mark Smith
