Fire destroys farms in Konongo-Odumase district

Fire has destroyed more than 20,000 hectares of farms in the Konongo - Odumase Municipality.

About 10,000 farmers in communities such as Dwease, Praso, Boatenkrom, Beposo, Nyamebekyere and Nsonyameye were affected in the January 6 and 7 fire outbreaks.

Out of the destroyed farms, a little over 15,000 hectares were cocoa farms and the rest food crops farms.

The blaze also consumed the Dome River forest reserve located in the Asante Akim South District.

Tour

This came to light when the Municipal Chief Executive for Konongo-Odumase, Alhaji Briamah Boyong, toured the affected areas to ascertain the extent of the damage.

He was accompanied by personnel from the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), the Environmental and Sanitation Department, the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) and journalists.

The MCE announced the formation of a nine-member committee to assess the level of destruction.

The committee which will be chaired by a representative of the GNFS will include representatives from NADMO, the Environmental and Sanitation Office, Agriculture

Directorate, the Forestry Commission, the Dwease/Praso NADMO Coordinator, the Central Administration of the assembly, an assembly member from the affected communities and a cocoa officer from MoFA.

The committee will ascertain the cause of the fire outbreak; to take inventory of the damage to crops, especially cocoa and food crops and other properties and suggest the minimum relief to be provided to those affected and ways of preventing future occurrences

The committee has been given one week to submit its report for immediate action to be taken by the assembly.

Appeal for help
The MCE charged the committee to expedite action to enable the assembly seek help from outside, since the cost was beyond the assembly’s budget.

The Municipal Director of Agriculture, Mr Albert Obeng-Adu, said the disaster was going to affect food production as well as cash crops in the country, since the region contributed a big percentage to the food basket in the country.