Upper East residents assured of food security

The Upper East Regional Director of Food and Agriculture, Mr Francis Enno, has allayed fears of residents of the region of any looming food insecurity, following the recent floods that hit the area.

He said that although floods have affected ‘economic crops’ in the region, there would not be a food crisis in the region.

Mr Enno, who gave the assurance in an interview with the Ghanaian Times, on Saturday, disclosed that the recent floods had destroyed over 3,000 hectares of rice and maize farms of 13,828 farmers in 124 communities in the region.

A total of 1,332 livestock and birds died through the floods in the Kassena-Nankana and Bolgatanga municipalities and the Nabdam district, he said.

Mr Enno said that the entire region cultivated about 30,000 hectares of varieties of crops.

He said, “The total area of crops destroyed by the floods are 939 hectares of rice, 2,703 hectares of maize, 260 hectares of Sorghum,180 hectares of millet, 302 hectares of cowpea, 272 hectares of groundnut and 402 hectares of vegetables.”

The Binduri District recorded the highest devastation of 1,042 hectares of maize completely destroyed followed by Builsa North with 572 hectares and Builsa South 434 hectares of maize, Mr Enno said.

The Bawku municipality and the Nabadam, Tempane and Bawku West districts did not record any ‘farm destruction’ by floods.

Mr Ennor said the affected farmers would be supported in the dry season to engage in irrigation farming to make up for their losses.