Two irrigation sites at Tanoso and Kaniago in the Techiman Municipality of the Brong Ahafo Region with a land cover of about 300 acres are underutilised.

This is due to farmers’ inability to finance the cost of electricity and fuel to power pumps at the various irrigation sites.

Farmers who ply their trade at the now rain-fed sites mostly cultivate crops such as tomatoes, pepper, garden-eggs and watermelon, Takyi Effah, Techiman Director of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), told B&FT in an interview.

He said the sites, which host about 200 farmers, can be subject to a change of crop production in the area if farmers are supported to fully develop them. He passionately appealed for government to subsidise operational cost at the two sites to help farmers plant throughout the year, saying: “It will be huge catalyst to boost crop productivity”.

“The farmers at the sites don’t have the required financial muscle to operate throughout the year, per the high cost electricity tariff and fuel -- mostly especially when they have to pre-finance ahead of harvesting,” he said.

He also revealed that another irrigation site, Kogoago in the Techiman North district, is virtually fallow after laid pipes were stolen -- and therefore it needs urgent attention to reactivate its operation.