The minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Bryan Acheampong has addressed concerns on Ghana’s food security amid ongoing agricultural challenges.

The minister touched on various measures the government has implemented to mitigate a potential food crisis, the effects of climate change on agriculture and the role of irrigation. Dr. Acheampong began by affirming that the government has put in place several measures to address the pressing agricultural issues. The minister highlighted the involvement of the presidential level in implementing these measures:

“There was a lot of back homework that was commissioned, first at the presidential level, chaired by the president himself, to agree for government to agree to the measures that we wanted to implement.”
Dr. Bryan Acheampong the minister of Food and Agriculture

The minister added that, the government is focused on ensuring seeds and fertilizers are distributed to farmers promptly, with a target to deliver 50% of these resources by the end of the following week. According to Dr. Acheampong, this is crucial as the planting season in both northern and southern Ghana is very short. He emphasized:

“We should have been able to distribute all our seeds and fertilizers to allow for the minor season planting and take advantage of the rains currently falling in the north.”
Dr. Bryan Acheampong the minister of Food and Agriculture

Moreover, Dr. Acheampong mentioned that food shipments are en route to Ghana and are expected to arrive by September 20th. This will help stabilize food availability in the market. The minister also touched on the ongoing efforts to facilitate cash transfers to support affected communities:

“[ with] the cash transfers, we are working on the modalities and the validation is also ongoing. So largely, we have our hands firmly on the steering, and we believe that we’ll be able to implement the interventions successfully so far.”
Dr. Bryan Acheampong the minister of Food and Agriculture

The Impact of Climate Change

One of the most pressing issues raised by Dr. Acheampong was the devastating impact of climate change on agriculture. The minister explained that the shifting of the planting season by an entire month, as observed by the Ghana Meteorological Agency, had caught many farmers unprepared:

“Climate change is the underlying issue… the planting season itself has shifted by a month—a whole month. The information did not get to the farmers in the way that it was supposed to have gotten to them.”
Dr. Bryan Acheampong the minister of Food and Agriculture

This shift resulted in significant crop losses for farmers, particularly those in the transition and savannah zones. Dr. Acheampong painted a grim picture of the situation:

“The farmers there… they’ve lost everything. Those who planted from late June to July expecting the rains, they’ve lost everything. I’m talking about a million farmers; they’ve lost virtually everything.”
Dr. Bryan Acheampong the minister of Food and Agriculture

Investment in Irrigation Systems

Climate change is the root cause of the current agricultural challenges. Dr. Acheampong stressed that irrigation can play a vital role in mitigating its effects. However, he acknowledged that the level of investment required for irrigation systems is substantial:

“The level of investment required to do irrigation is not a joke. Irrigation schemes are completely different from the dams that our government sought to do.”
Dr. Bryan Acheampong the minister of Food and Agriculture

The minister explained that, while the government has invested in large irrigation projects such as the expansion of Tamne and Via, Tano and ongoing work in regions like Afram Plains and Upper West, there remains a need for more robust irrigation systems. The minister clarified the difference between the government’s small dam projects and full irrigation schemes:

“What we sought to do at the time was to create what we call small dams or dugouts to hold rainwater… and they are not able to hold this water for agricultural purposes.”
Dr. Bryan Acheampong the minister of Food and Agriculture

The minister emphasized the importance of continued investment in irrigation infrastructure to ensure that farmers do not solely depend on rain-fed agriculture. On this, Dr. Bryan Acheampong’s has shared valuable insights into the government’s efforts to address food security concerns in Ghana.

Although the effects of climate change pose significant challenges, the minister outlined several initiatives aimed at mitigating these impacts. Meanwhile, from the distribution of seeds and fertilizers to investments in irrigation infrastructure, the government remains committed to ensuring food security in the face of adversity.