Ghana: Dry spells trigger GH¢22.2bn crop losses

By Wisdom JONNY-NUEKPE Data from the Ghana Grains Council (GGC) indicate that dry spells and drought conditions have affected 1.8 million hectares of agricultural land in the country, resulting in crop revenue losses amounting to some GH¢22.2billion in 2023 and 2024. The Council noted that the Northern and Savannah Regions – which are responsible for a significant portion of the country’s maize, millet, sorghum and rice – were hit the hardest. According to GGC, maize yields fell by 35 percent and rice production by 25 percent, with millet and sorghum yields dropping by some 20 percent this year. The Council’s Executive Secretary, Emily Boahen – who was addressing stakeholders at the Ghana Grains Forum in Accra on Tuesday, said grains, particularly maize, have become essential to the country’s economy and their cultivation must be prioritised. She said this commodity alone accounted for half of the country’s total cereal production, with over two million smallholder farmers ...