Humankind and nations historically have been inundated with natural disasters which have caused so much havoc, destruction and pain. To mitigate the impact, many measures have been adopted and implemented at various times in history to address specific disasters. Natural disasters, though an act of God, can be predicted with science and technology.
The recent drought or dry spell in the country has affected the five Northern regions; the middle belt of the country, including Bono, Bono East, Ahafo and Oti regions. These regions, contribute more than 60% of Ghana’s annual grain production. The livelihoods of already vulnerable families are threatened as well as the food security of the country. Most farmers in these regions who cultivated large hectares of crops have lost much of their investment due to the erratic rainfall this farming season.
The effect of the drought, which lasted only two months, could have been significantly mitigated if not averted had the Government’s flagship programmes of Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) and One Village One Dam had been successfully implemented.
In response to this crisis, the Ministry of Finance has requested GH₵500 million from the Contingency Fund to help mitigate the effects of the drought. This Paper supports the position taken by the Finance Committee of Parliament that whilst this immediate measure is necessary to prevent a severe food shortage, the allocation of these funds must be transparent and well-documented. The proposed budget requested must include a clear breakdown of names of beneficiaries, their locations and the amounts and/or farm inputs received from the package. The publication of this list is crucial for accountability and to ensure that the funds are used equitably and judiciously to avoid reports of misapplication or misuse of the funds as has been the case in some social interventions.
The intervention of the government to support farmers with farm inputs and cash as well as banning the export of grains to save the country from plunging into catastrophic food crisis ought to have been welcomed and celebrated. However, civil society and farmers who would be the beneficiaries of these intervention measures are opposed to them. Their reason is that, they doubt the government’s capacity to implement these measures without creating waste and mismanagement. They are also opposed to the deployment of the military at the borders of the country to effect the ban on the export of grain. These farmers and civil society groups are of the firm view that, the eight (8) billion Ghana cedis earmarked for the interventions should rather be used to purchase the grain that is produced by other farmers at a price that will be good enough to discourage them from exporting it.
While these short-term interventions may be crucial, they must be part of a broader strategy to build resilience against future climatic challenges. The Catholic Standard Paper strongly suggests that the government invests in more reliable and sustainable agricultural infrastructure, such as proper irrigation dams, to provide all-year round water. Such long-term solutions would reduce dependency on unpredictable weather patterns and enhance the productivity and livelihoods of farmers.
The present situation should serve as a wake-up call that climate change is real. It has indeed exposed our vulnerability to its effects. This, therefore calls for a very serious comprehensive review of our agricultural policies.
It does not make sense to give seeds and other farm inputs to famers when we are getting to the end of the farming season in the affected areas. It is better to do so at the next farming season- 2025.
As Ghana navigates this grain crisis, it is essential to adopt a comprehensive approach that combines immediate relief with long-term strategies to ensure food security and sustainable agricultural development. The time to act is now, and we hope that the government and farmers will work together to build a more resilient agricultural sector for our survival and not for us to experience the terrible conditions of the drought era of the early 1980s.
