Barely two week after the World Food Programme (WFP)’s pronouncement to use Ghana as the base for the stock piling of grains in its food security programme for the sub-region, The Chronicle’s investigations in some key farming communities in the Northern Region reveal that there is the threat of food shortage. Farmers’ performance after months of erratic rainfall in the northern part of the country shows that Ghana needs a dramatic change in nature to avoid witnessing severe food shortage this year.

To avert this possible food shortage in the country, the authorities are therefore required to adopt urgent pragmatic measures to sustain and make the programme a success as well as create avenue for the poor farmers to benefit from their investment. The paper can authoritatively say that about 80% of the early crops sown by farmers in the three northern regions have gone bad and only 20% could be salvaged by the Saturday July 15, rain.

Meanwhile, agriculturists have identified or set aside every July 15 as the last cropping day of the year for farmers. Traditional rulers in the three Northern Regions, in trying to salvage their hard-won images as traditional authorities made all kinds of sacrifices to pacify the gods of their lands for a change in nature. In addition to this move by the chiefs, Imams also said prayers and made holy animal sacrifices to intervene for rain, whilst the Christian community also fasted and prayed to God for immediate rainfall, the paper learnt.

Disturbingly enough, the investigations established that over thousands of hectares of maize and groundnut farms in particular have greatly been affected by the unexpected drought, which would without doubt dwindle the country’s maize and groundnut productions by about 35 to 40%. Some of the maize which have sprouted or germinated for fifteen to eighteen weeks and are expected to be ready for harvesting are still looking wishy-washy or weak as if they are only two weeks old.

The few sticks that are able to maintain their natural outlooks have also refused to produce seeds and have suddenly become skeletal. The most affected communities the paper visited include; Langbinsi, Walewale, Gbani, Tinguri and Mimina in the West Mamprusi District, Bongbini, Nariligu and Gambaga in the East Mamprusi District, Savelugu and Pigu in the Savelugu/Nanton district as well as Natagu in the Saboba/Cheriponi district among others. Some of the affected farmers who spoke to The Chronicle described the situation as “unusual” whilst others also ascribed it to “a curse”. They complained that they had invested their last pesewa in their farms with the hope of deriving huge profits, but they had lost their hopes. A farmer at Bongbini in the East Mamprusi District told the paper that the last time the district had rain was when the Ghana Black Stars were playing their first 2006 World Cup match with their Italian counterparts in Germany. Their main fear now as they stated, was how to cater for their families and more particularly how to refund the loans they obtained from some organizations for their businesses. This problem, according to pieces of information gathered by the paper is not limited to the Northern Region, but the two upper regions, Upper East and Upper West regions, which are also major food basket of Ghana. Speaking in an interview with The Chronicle at his residence in Nareligu, the Paramount Chief of Mamprusi Traditional Area (MTA), Nayiri Naa Abdulai Mahami Sheriga expressed regret about the situation and described as an indictment on his personality and authority as the traditional head of the people in the area. According to Nayiri, who is also a member of the Otumfour’s Committee of Eminent Chiefs and President of the Northern Regional House of Chiefs, he had performed several rituals and sacrifices to demand from the lesser gods rain since the commencement of the drought, yet the problem persisted. “I thought it was curse or any of my people had offended the gods, so I slaughtered several animals to pacify the gods, but despite that all attempts and prayers by rainmakers in this area and even religious leaders have proved unsuccessful. This is my personal secret, but I can’t hide it.

Because this problem is getting out of hand, the government must be aware and also take immediate steps because the farmers have suffered a lot,” the Chief stated. Nayiri appealed to the government to supply the farmers in the area with some farm input, especially fertilizers to support their business. He however, warned the few farmers who had lost hope and were cutting down their crops to desist from such acts.