MoFA Acknowledges Unforeseen Drought in Northern Ghana

The Ministry of Agriculture (MoFA) has conceded that the current drought in Northern Ghana was not anticipated.

Farmers in the region are urgently seeking government aid due to significant damage to their crops from over a month of inadequate rainfall.

Tanko Bagbara, MoFA’s Public Relations Officer, acknowledged that while the ministry has been in regular contact with the Meteorological Agency, the severity of the drought was unexpected. He stated, “Despite our close cooperation with the meteorological station and adherence to their advice, this level of drought was not predicted. Rain-fed agriculture inherently involves uncertainty.”

Tanko also mentioned that the ministry is in the process of compiling a list of affected farmers to facilitate governmental support. “We are gathering data on the impact across eight regions, including the recent addition of the Upper East and Northern regions, which have suffered from drought for the past month and a half. This information will guide future actions,” he explained.

He further noted that the President has indicated that the government will soon introduce measures to address the drought’s impact.

“The situation will certainly impact food security as many farms have been devastated. Even with rain, recovery of these farms is unlikely. The ministry is working on data collection, and the government is expected to announce interventions shortly,” Tanko concluded.