Tamale, July 12, GNA- There is a glimmer of hope for farmers in the Northern Region following a rainfall on Thursday evening in the Tamale Metropolis and its environs.

Some people in the Metropolis said the rains that came as a result of prayers that Muslims offered to Allah early Thursday morning to end a drought in that part of the country have come to revive wilting crops. The GNA leant that last Monday, Muslims at the Afa Ajara Mosque in Sakasaka, a suburb of Tamale, offered prayers to Allah and indicated that the rain would fall within three days.

Gloom hanged in air in the Tamale Metropolis as and people were happy to hear that there was going to be general prayers for rain, at the Tamale Police Park.

All Chief Imams in the Metropolis converged at the park and offered prayers, which some people said resulted in the rains. Even though the rain was not heavy, some residents expressed the hope that it was the beginning of better things to come, and urged religious bodies countrywide to pray for rain to fall in the Northern part of the country.

There had not been rain after the Tamale rainstorm disaster, which occurred in April this year, and the prolonged drought affected crops, which agriculture experts described as being in their "Permanent wilting point".

Mr. Sylvester Adongo, Northern Regional Director of Food and Agriculture, on Wednesday conducted the Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris round some affected farms in the Savelugu/Nanton District.

Mr. Adongo indicated that the Upper West, Upper East and Northern Regions would experience acute food shortage if it failed to rain within a week in the Northern Region.

He said the prolonged drought in some parts of the Northern, Upper East, and Upper West Regions were affecting agriculture activities, especially the cultivation of crops.

The Regional Director explained that if the rains set in now, farmers could still plant fresh crops such as rice, maize, groundnuts and millet, which could be harvested in three month's time. 12 July 07