Tumu (UWR), June 5, GNA – The Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMA) has said that the absence of readily available rainfall data from the Sissala East Municipality was affecting the timely release of weather information to the people in the area.
This, the Agency said, was due to the absence of an active District Officer in the area to read and pick the weather information for accurate weather predictions for the area, which produces large volumes of cereals for the country.
The District, has for some period, lacked an officer due to the demise of the former officer for the area.
Mrs Francisca Martey, Deputy Director and Head of Research of the Agency said this during a workshop on Seasonal Weather Forecasts in Tumu in the Upper West Region ahead of the 2021 farming season.
She said Upper West would likely get a normal and above normal rainfall pattern for 2021 and a draught spell up to nine to 16 days and therefore advised farmers to be aware and plant the right seeds.
Mrs Martey said she was, however, using data from Wa, the regional capital, for Tumu due to lack of data from the area, adding that it was not the best giving the climate variability and farmers dependent on the weather for their activities.
“If I can have Tumu actual data, it can be helpful as the people will see this is from our vicinity” she said.
She appealed to the authorities to replace the demised officer saying the absence of an officer was affecting the Agency’s ability to send accurate weather predictions for the area.
She advised the participants to take up farming for profit and own the projects after their cycle come to an end.
The workshop formed part of a project funded by Africa Development Bank in partnership with the Canadian Feed the Children and Tudridep, an NGO with the objective of disseminating seasonal weather information to smallholder/entrepreneurial farmers in Northern Ghana for the 2021 farming season.
GNA