A civil society organisation with interest in social justice, SEND Ghana, and its partners have appealed to the government to expedite the distribution of agricultural inputs to farmers under its flagship Feed Ghana Programme, as the planting season begins across the country.

The organisation said delays in the release of seeds, fertilisers and other essential farm inputs could negatively affect this year’s farming season and undermine efforts to improve food security.

In a statement issued in Accra on Monday, May 25, SEND Ghana said its interactions with farmers in the Northern, Oti, Volta and Bono East regions indicated that many farmers were yet to receive farming inputs despite the onset of the rains.

It added that checks conducted with the Department of Agriculture also revealed that most Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) had not received the inputs for onward distribution to farmers.

Feed Ghana Programme

The initiative was launched by President John Dramani Mahama in April last year to boost local food production, create jobs and reduce the country’s reliance on imported food.

Popularly referred to as ‘Yeridua’, to wit, “we are planting”, the programme is centred on practical farming approaches that involve households, schools, communities and institutions.

It also involves sub-projects on vegetables, grains, poultry, oil palm, tubers and other import substitutes to reduce the country’s reliance on imports, return to a culture of self-reliance and build a stronger food system that works for everyone, from farmers in rural areas to families living in cities.

However, SEND Ghana indicated that the delay in agricultural input distribution could derail the government’s ambitions for the programme if urgent action was not taken.

The civil society organisation, which advocates for vulnerable groups, particularly in health and agriculture, added that some farmers were already reluctant to venture into large-scale farming this year because of the losses they incurred during the previous farming season.

SEND Ghana, therefore, appealed to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) to speed up the release and distribution of the inputs to ensure that farmers took advantage of the current rains for planting.

“SEND Ghana also calls on the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to ensure that the youth, especially young women, are prioritised in line with the Feed Ghana Programme implementation modalities to address youth unemployment.

“Government should also make information on the programme increasingly available to the public by providing regular updates on the modalities for accessing progress of the implementation,” the civil society organisation said.

It is the view of the organisation and its partners that creating opportunities for young people in agriculture would not only improve livelihoods but also contribute to the long-term sustainability of the country’s agricultural sector.

Potential

The organisation also said the programme had the potential to improve food security, reduce food inflation, create jobs for young people and women, and promote agro-industrial development and exports.

However, it stressed that the success of the initiative would depend largely on effective agricultural governance at the local level and the timely implementation of interventions.

“Without these, the government risks missing set targets and wasting public resources,” it stressed.

Meteo

The Ghana Meteorological Agency forecasts that the rainfall season in Northern Ghana is expected to begin at a normal to late period in most areas, although places such as Bole and Salaga may experience an early onset.

Rainfall during the May–September period is generally forecasted to be below normal to near normal across much of northern Ghana and parts of the middle belt, while some southern coastal areas may record normal to above-normal rainfall.

The northern sector is expected to receive between 450mm and 700mm of rainfall during the peak season, with dry spells ranging from about 10 to 18 days in some areas, particularly across the Upper East, Upper West and Transition zones.

Rainfall cessation is expected to be early to normal in most northern areas.

GMet has, therefore, advised stakeholders and the public to prepare for possible impacts such as prolonged dry spells through early preparedness and risk management.

Earlier, it advised that the onset of the rainy season was expected to be normal to slightly early across most coastal and transition zones.

However, farmers in Sunyani, Dunkwa, Sefwi Bekwai, Abetifi, Akim Oda, Akuse, Asamankese, Ho, Kpando, Axim and Saltpond should anticipate a late onset and wait for sustained rainfall before planting or committing to major seasonal investments.

Below-normal rainfall is expected in Dormaa, Sunyani, Mim, Goaso, Cape Coast, Accra, and Tema during March to May, increasing the risk of early-season moisture stress.

Two significant dry spell periods are expected in March to April (6 to 15 days) and the second in May to June (9 to 19 days), which may disrupt crop performance and strain water sources, especially in forest zone farming communities.

GMet has, therefore, called for the adoption of early maturing and drought-tolerant crop varieties suited to this season's conditions.