Dry spell: Northern Ghana farmers demand action on delayed govt support

Peasant farmers in the five northern regions are frustrated. They are upset about the government's delayed support after last year's dry spell. Many farmers say they have not received any assistance, despite data collection. They are asking the government to keep its promise as they struggle to feed their families.

These concerns were raised during a meeting organized by ActionAid Ghana and Songtaba. The goal was to assess the impact of the dry spell and discuss solutions. Last year, climate change severely affected farmers in northern Ghana. While some see climate change as distant, it has harshly impacted many lives.

Farmers faced long periods without rain, causing significant crop losses. Many crops withered due to the drought, raising fears of food shortages. The North is known as Ghana’s food basket, making this situation critical. The government promised assistance and collected data from affected farmers.

However, nearly five months later, many farmers report no support received. With a new farming season approaching, ActionAid Ghana and Songtaba held another meeting to reassess the situation. Mumuni Halia from ActionAid expressed concern over climate change's impact on farmers.

She discussed possible measures to mitigate these effects. Halia highlighted challenges faced by women smallholder farmers in accessing fertile land. Despite government promises, many women have not received support.

Halia noted that women are often marginalized in agricultural assistance programs. She stated that most farmers have not received help despite data collection efforts. Halia urged the government to ensure proper distribution of support for recovery.

She emphasized including women smallholder farmers in aid distribution urgently. Halia also stressed preserving indigenous seed varieties while enhancing local seed quality through research.

Some peasant farmers shared their frustrations with Channel One. Madam Awulatu spoke about how drought affected women smallholder farmers significantly. She explained that many lost everything and struggled to repay microloans due to crop failure.

Awulatu called for policies that include women smallholder farmers in government plans. She acknowledged that while aid was promised, it fell into the wrong hands after elections.

In many districts, relief items were stored for post-election distribution but were looted instead. Political party supporters allegedly took supplies meant for affected farmers across several districts in the North.