Food and Agriculture Minister Bryan Acheampong has directly linked the country’s ongoing drought crisis occurance in northern Ghana to climate change.
In an interview on Joy News’ PM Express, Mr. Acheampong disclosed that the Ghana Meteorological Agency had informed the government about a one-month shift in the planting season—a critical change that the government failed to communicate effectively to farmers.
“Despite significant investments in inputs, training, land development, seeds, and fertilizers, this unexpected change undermined these efforts. This shift in the planting season, caused by climate change, disrupted our agricultural planning,” he explained.
Further, Mr Acheampong reveal the importance of implementing measures to protect Ghana’s food systems, even though climate change cannot be stop.
He clarified that developing effective irrigation systems requires substantial investment and differs significantly from the small earth dams built under the government’s “One District, One Dam” initiative.
The Minister also outlined ongoing government efforts to expand irrigation projects nationwide, mentioning developments in the Afram Plains, Tono, and Upper West regions, where 19 small irrigation projects are currently underway.
Additionally, he highlighted 15 projects in the Northern Region focused on creating small earth dams or dugouts to capture rainwater for agriculture and livestock use.
Acheampong stressed that these dams, designed to hold rainwater during the rainy season, have largely succeeded in serving their intended purposes, such as providing water for household use, livestock, and small-scale farming.
