By Fatima Anafu-Astanga
Bolgatanga, Oct. 2, GNA – Hopes of a bumper maize harvest among farmers in the Upper East Region this year could be dashed as poor tasselling, attributed to prolonged drought during the cropping season, threatens crop yields in parts of the region.
Mr Ibrahim Jambeidu, the Upper East Regional Focal Person of the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG), said the situation could negatively affect food availability next year if urgent measures were not taken to support farmers.
He said maize farms in communities in the Tempane, Pusiga and Binduri districts, as well as Zebilla in the Bawku West District, were particularly affected by a prolonged dry spell when the crops were approaching the tasselling stage.
Mr Jambeidu, who made the observation in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Bolgatanga, said although the crops developed tall and green stalks, many failed to tassel properly and consequently produced few or no grains.
He said: “This year, we were expecting a bumper harvest. After sowing, the crops were doing well and farmers usually applied farmyard manure and later top-dressed with inorganic fertiliser.
“In terms of physical appearance, the crops grew very tall but were not tasselling, and there were no seeds on the maize cobs, or if there were any, they were just small seeds, while the stalk remained green and tall.”.
Mr Jambeidu said the poor performance of the crops would have implications for food supply in the region, warning that “if care is not taken, there will be hunger next year.”
He noted that maize remained a major food crop that supported the regional economy, with the Upper East Region serving as one of the country’s important food baskets for maize, rice and millet.
On the choice of seeds, he said some local maize varieties appeared less tolerant to the prevailing weather conditions and urged farmers to adopt improved and climate-resilient seed varieties.
Mr Jambeidu said he personally tested hybrid maize seeds on his one-acre farm and recorded better performance, although the cost of the seeds remained a challenge.
“I personally bought some hybrid seeds and tried them on my one-acre farm, which has performed well, except that the seeds were costly,” he said.
He disclosed that he spent between GH¢1,000 and GH¢1,500 on the hybrid seeds.
Mr Jambeidu said the food situation could become difficult next year because farmers were unlikely to produce enough maize and other food crops to meet demand.
He said any significant food supply available next year might largely come from produce stored from the previous season, noting that many farmers had been unable to sell their stocks because of poor market conditions.
He therefore advised farmers who still had stocks of old produce to store them properly to preserve the food for consumption in the coming year.
Mr Jambeidu also called on the Government to support farmers with improved seed varieties for maize, sorghum and rice to enable them to cope with changing climatic conditions and improve yields.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali/Benjamin Mensah
Reporter’s email address: Fatima Anafu-Astanga
Reporter’s email address: [email protected]