EXTERNAL FACTORS IMPACTING AGRICULTURE PRODUCTION – REGIONAL AGRIC DEPARTMENT REPORTS

The major external factors that affected agriculture during the year were the early cessation of rains (dry spell) and the issue of pests and diseases in vegetables (tomato, garden eggs, and pepper) and maize farms.

The dry spell resulted in crop failure, two failures in a year. As a result of the dry spell in the major season, most farmers replanted during the minor season. Though the minor season commenced with good rains, it also ceased at the critical point in crop growth (the fruiting or flowering stage) resulting in the wilting of cereals, vegetables, and legumes.

The situation affected 125,504ha of maize, rice, yam, tomato, garden eggs, okra, and groundnut. In all, an estimated 171,504 farmers have been affected in one way or the other.

About 60% of the population in the region was affected and over 80% of the crops cultivated were negatively affected. Yields have been estimated to reduce by 50% in maize and 60% in vegetables and legumes.

Other anticipated challenges included a reduction in income from the previous cropping season (i.e. major season) due to low production levels, depleted or inadequate income to finance the replanting during the minor season, inadequate or poor availability of improved seeds (especially maize, rice, and tomato) and fertilizers coupled with a high cost of agricultural inputs (seed, fertilizers, and other agrochemicals).

The price variation of agricultural inputs continues to affect crop and poultry production. The farmers suffer a situation where prices of agriculture inputs such as fertilizers, weedicides, pesticides, and other farm equipment are high resulting in farmers’ inability to acquire them for crop production, though they are available in the open market.

The expected consequence of the astronomic increase in the cost of production in the minor season is the increased cost of food commodities. It was observed during the reporting period that though food commodities were available on the market (for those planted in the second quarter), prices remained high though availability is good.

There were also incidences of bushfires in some districts during the first quarter that resulted in the burning of some farms, especially cashew plantations in Wenchi, Banda, Tain, and Berekum West. In all, over 15 communities were affected with a total of 359ha affected involving 271 farmers (including 70 females).