Drought in Techiman, in the Brong Ahafo Region, has forced Islamic leaders in the town to hold special prayers to call on God for rains.

Farmers in the municipality are lamenting several weeks of drought have caused huge crop losses, leaving them in debt.

Techiman, a town with a large Muslim population is noted as the hub for the production of corn, yam, and other crops to feed other parts of the country. The farmers say they have not had any rains for several weeks, causing them huge losses on their fields.

Joy News’ Joseph Opoku Gakpo who was in the area reports some of the farmers took loans from the banks to finance their activities and have since not been able to pay back.

“This year, the way the rain has treated us was so bad. On my farm, I have planted on the same field three times, and the sun burnt it all. I took a loan of 1,200 cedis from the bank to invest in the farm, but I cannot repay that money now,” 2010 best district farmer Mathew Tuah told Gakpo.

He says this has made it impossible for him to take care of his children’s education.

“My child is supposed to leave for school in Obuasi, but I don’t know where to get money from for him,” he lamented.

An agric Extension Officer in the area Mujis Abdulai explained the major planting season is supposed to run from April till August during which the rains usually fall frequently to ensure they get good harvest, but that has not been the case this year. He says the minor planting season then runs from August till December, but the rain has fallen only once. Mr. Abdulai says the farmers are struggling.

 “What the farmers will eat themselves is even a problem, not to talk about what to take to the market to sell…. I fear this could cause food crisis” he told Joy news.

At the special prayer session at one of the school parks in Techiman on Saturday, the Islamic leaders recited special versus from the Quran to call for rain.

Men, women and children took part in the prayers in the scorching sun.

They explained the Holy Prophet Mohammed said those same prayers during His days when there was drought; hence they are hopeful the situation will change.

“We waited for a very long time for God to help us with rain, and the rain wasn’t coming. So our Mallams and Imams had to come together and say let’s pray. And the path of the prophet is that whenever there is difficulty with rain, he meets with his disciples and they pray and call on Allah to help us with rain. So we know we are going to get the rains, Insha Allahu,” one of the leaders of the prayer session told Gaskiya Radio’s Anas Sabbit at the prayer ground.