Stop relying on rainfall for crop production and develop irrigation systems – NGO urges government
The Executive Director of GHANECare, Richard Kuunah, has re-echoed the need for government to stop relying on rainfall for crop production and start an aggressive development of irrigation systems throughout the country.
According to him, the negative impacts of climate change have become a major threat to farmers therefore, introducing irrigation systems will ensure food security through out the year.
“The net potential effect of severe changes in rainfall pattern is the disruption in crop production leading to food insecurity, joblessness and poverty,” he added.
Speaking on research conducted by GHANECare, Mr Kuunah said even though agriculture is a key part of Ghana’s economy, the structure of the sector is vulnerable because it keeps relying on rain-fed agriculture.
He noted that despite emphasis placed on irrigation development in many plans, less than two per cent of the total cultivatable areas in Ghana are irrigated.
The Executive Director of GHANECare said it has also been established that any country that depends on agricultural production as a basis for industrial development is most likely to fail if irrigation is not part of the agricultural development plan.
He stated that the lack of reliable data on where irrigation currently exists, trends in its development, and opportunities and constraints within formal and informal schemes undermine consensus about how to build on what already exists in the sector.
To resolve the rainfall challenge and sustain crop production in the country, Mr Kuunah recommended piloting irrigation for selected crops, as some farmers are already doing.
