Members of the Pusu-Namongo community in the Talensi District, located in the Upper East Region, have requested that the government immediately remove silt from local dams. This is necessary to sustain farming throughout the year, as water sources in the region have been affected by increasingly severe impacts of climate change.
Addressing the Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture, John Setor Dumelo, during his visit, local farmers stressed the pressing requirement of government assistance. Tii Godfred, Secretary of the Pusu-Namongo Water Users Association, highlighted that numerous farmers have been compelled to leave their dry-season farms due to inadequate water levels in the remaining dams. This has significantly impacted crops like tomatoes and onions, which were in the crucial fruition stage.
“In this jurisdiction, climate has changed drastically. The weather has shifted, and the rainfall pattern has shifted. The challenge that we face as farmers is that many of the dams are silted. Just recently, some farmers couldn’t finish harvesting all their produce and had to abandon their farms just because the level of water had reduced in such a way that in certain places if they open the water, it couldn’t reach there. So, in that case, they had to stop, and because of that, some people have run at a loss,” he recalled.
In representing the farmers, Mr. Tii appealed for assistance acquiring necessary farm supplies and access to tractor services to improve their agricultural endeavors. Similarly, Musah Sadat, a fellow farmer, reiterated the need for prompt action from the government to construct the much-awaited Pwalugu Multipurpose Dam and revive the abandoned Pwalugu Tomato Factory. Such efforts would significantly enhance the region’s farming productivity and processing capabilities.
Deputy Minister John Setor Dumelo reassured the farmers that the government is dedicated to revamping current dams and building new ones to support year-round farming.
“In the NDC manifesto, we said we were going to build Farmer Service Centers, and it is something that we are going to do. I have all the power to probably say that Talensi will get their own. The Farmer Service Centers will have tractors, seeds, combine harvesters, and everything needed to be a good farmer. With respect to irrigation, we’ve launched a program called ‘Irrigation for Wealth’ and we are irrigating over 10,000 hectares of land but also, we are making sure that we rehabilitate existing irrigation schemes and this community will be no exception,” he added.
In addition, he announced joint efforts between the government and private companies to set up processing facilities across the country to tackle the ongoing problem of post-harvest losses.
As part of his ongoing tour of the Upper East Region, the minister visited to evaluate the issues affecting farmers and determine where urgent action is required. Local Member of Parliament for Talensi, Daniel Dung Mahama, also highlighted a pressing concern: the need to desilt around 16 decades-old dams to secure enough water for dry season cultivation. He emphasized his commitment to seeing these dams rehabilitated.
The MP expressed hope that implementing the ‘Nkoko Nkitinkiti” policy, which aims to assist 55,000 households nationwide, would generate employment opportunities for the residents of Talensi.
