Acting Executive Director of the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana, Bismark Owusu Nortey, says climate change and economic instability are having a significant impact on food production in the country.
He shared that a prolonged dry spell in 2023 led to a dramatic decrease in maize yields, with some farmers harvesting less than 10 bags from 3 acres.
Furthermore, rising input costs, fluctuations in exchange rates, and import duties have made farming increasingly challenging.
His concerns are echoed by a recent food security monitor report, which points to food price volatility across West Africa, driven by insecurity, macroeconomic challenges, and seasonal factors.
“What went through last year, the dry spell had a very serious impact on our family to the extent that normally, when a farmer does one acre of maize, the average yield in Ghana is about 800 kg bag, even though it is lower potential, but average, that’s what we produce. Due to what we experienced last year, there are instances where farmers did three acres and they are harvesting less than 10 bags. So you can imagine the huge drop in acreage. That’s because of the dry spell.”
The economic situation is also there. The high cost of input, and the exchange rate fluctuation, they had the cost the port when it comes to importing this material. They are so high. if you look at the vegetables like tomatoes, onion, we normally import from Burkina and Niger, you realise that once there are instability in those countries, it has an effect on the number of packs that are imported. Another has to do with how the traders have to spend more cedis in exchange for cefa in order to get the produce.”
