Farms flooded in Volta Region: Cereals, vegetables affected
A number of farms in the Anloga, Keta and Akatsi areas of the Volta Region have been flooded after last Monday night’s heavy rain.
The floods affected rice, maize and vegetable farms on a wide scale.
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The Regional Directorate of Food and Agriculture has, however, allayed fears that the development could pose a threat to food security in the region.
The Regional Director, William Dzamefe, told the Daily Graphic after touring some of the flooded farms last Tuesday that the soil in the affected areas, by its natural texture, facilitated the rapid recession of the floodwater.
He said the plants, which were buried in the floods, would soon revive.
“Apart from that, this is just the beginning of the farming season, and so there is no threat of crop failure,” he added.
Guaranteed good yields
Mr Dzamefe further maintained that farmers could still plant new crops and expect very good yields.
For instance, he said, the nursing and transplanting of tomatoes, onions and other vegetables was just a few days away, adding that the severe weather condition which flooded the farmlands did not pose any threat to their cultivation.
Mr Dzamefe said there were bright prospects for vegetable farming in southern Volta this season since the Ministry of Food and Agriculture had secured lucrative marketing links for the various farm produce, not only in the region, but in other parts of the country as well.
“We are securing space for our farm produce at markets in Accra, Ashaiman, Dome Kwabenya and other places,” he told the Daily Graphic.
Ready markets
Meanwhile, the Anloga District Chief Executive, Seth Yormewu, has given an assurance that the assembly would continue to work hand in hand with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to ensure that vegetable farmers in the area got ready markets for their produce.
“The reopening of the land borders has also created new possibilities of establishing viable markets for the vegetables in Togo and Benin,” he added.