U/E Farmers Hopeful of Bumper Harvest Regardless Fall Army Worms 
 

The Upper East Regional Director of Crops of the Ministry of food and agriculture, Joseph Benie, has given a strong assurance that the region is expected to experience excesses in the production of the five main crops being cultivated under the pilot phase of the Planting for Food and Jobs. 

The bumper harvest, according to him, will not only ensure food security for the country but will also increase the income of farmers who benefited from the government's flagship agricultural policy "Planting for Food and Jobs".  

The Regional Crops Director who led a tour of some of the farms at Zuarungu-Gaanbisi and other communities in the Bolgatanga Municipality, described the project in the region as highly successful, stressing, the farmers who initially did not show interest in the policy are now invading the districts directorate of MOFA offices daily to be part of it because of the success story so far. 

Mr. Benie commended farmers for investing heavily in agriculture, this year, as part of efforts to make the Government’s planting for Food and Jobs a reality. 

He said evidence from field visits across the region pointed to a bumper harvest this year, which would make the country food secure while creating jobs and improving incomes for farmers among other things. 

The first phase of the revolutionary agriculture policy of the government focuses on supporting farmers with subsidies to acquire fertilisers and seeds to grow maize, soya beans, rice, sorghum, as well as vegetables such as onion, pepper and tomatoes. 

The program started this planting season with the supply of quality seeds and fertilisers to farmers at a highly subsidised price across the country. 

Mr. Benie explained that the attack by the Fall Army Worms on the plants was overwhelming in the district but added that the timely intervention of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, MOFA, through the supply of appropriate insecticides had brought the situation under control. 

During the visit to some of the farms in the region, there were clear indications that the farmers were expecting a bumper harvest. 

Mr. Benie said farmers in the region have displayed courage, commitment and perseverance towards the fight against the deadly pests, stressing that their efforts ought to be acknowledged and commended.  

He observed that farmers have efficiently utilized the inputs supplied to them. The maize, soya beans and rice plants were blossoming, much to the excitement of the farmers. 

There were, however, visible signs of a massive attack on the plants by Fall Army Worms as some of the plants were still recovering. 

It was obvious that the worms had been brought under control; the big cobs of corn gave ample testimony of that. 

Speaking to Radio Ghana’s Samuel Ayammah at Gaanbisi a community in the Bolgatanga Municipality, a farmer Margaret Awafo, said with the timely intervention of the subsidized fertilizer she has been able to cultivate   almost all the five main crops being cultivated under the pilot phase of the Planting for Food and Jobs program. 

According to her, the pest invade parts of her farm but  when she reported to the MOFA directorate they gave her chemicals to spray the pest and she has been able to recover all the crops that were affected by the pest. 

Roland Agambire, a farmer at Zuarungu expressed satisfaction about the effectiveness of the chemicals acquired by the Ministry of Agriculture to fight the Fall Army Worms. 

According to Mr. Agambire, farmers will only witness the effectiveness of the chemical if they follow the normal procedure in applying the chemical. 

He said parts of his maize farm were affected but with the intervention of the chemical he was able to recover the affected areas and he is expecting a bumper harvest. 

Mr. Agambire commended government for supporting farmers with subsidized fertilizer and charged his colleague farmers to embrace the government’s flagship program. 

Aneribazanga-Atanga Yussif, who is also a farmer in the area, said he is expecting a bumper harvest this year. 

According to him, the NPK 15-15-15 fertilizer and Ammonia Sulphate he received from the MOFA directorate did the magic for him. 

He said he could not crop last year farming season because of the high prices of fertilizer.  

Meanwhile, Some farmers in the Upper East Region have appealed to the government to consider adding the rearing of livestock to its Planting for Food and Jobs agricultural policy.



GBC
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