Agriculture Minister Bryan Acheampong addresses drought crisis and climate change impact

Agriculture Minister Bryan Acheampong has attributed Ghana‘s ongoing drought crisis to climate change, highlighting the profound shift in weather patterns as a core issue rather than just irrigation deficits.

In an interview with Joy News’ PM Express Business Edition on August 29, Acheampong explained that the Ghana Meteorological Agency had informed the government of a significant change in the planting season, which had shifted by an entire month. This alteration, he noted, had disrupted agricultural planning and was not effectively communicated to farmers.

“This shift in the planting season, a fundamental change caused by climate change, disrupted our agricultural planning,” Acheampong said. “We invested heavily in inputs, training, land development, seeds, and fertilizers, but this change compromised all our efforts.”

While acknowledging that climate change is an inevitable challenge, Bryan Acheampong emphasized the need for measures to protect Ghana’s food systems. He pointed out that irrigation, although crucial, requires substantial investment and is different from the small earth dams established under the government’s “One District, One Dam” initiative.

Bryan Acheampong highlighted ongoing irrigation projects in areas like the Afram Plains, Tono, and Upper West regions, where 19 small irrigation projects are underway, as well as 15 projects in the Northern Region aimed at capturing rainwater for agricultural use.

The government has also rolled out emergency measures to mitigate the impact of the drought on farmers. Bryan Acheampong announced a financial support scheme providing GH₵1,000 per hectare to vulnerable farmers as partial compensation for their investment losses.

Additional interventions include a temporary ban on grain exports, purchasing stock directly from farmers, and providing grains, poultry feed, cash transfers, food grants, input support, and technical assistance for soil moisture conservation.

To further stabilize food supplies and address future climate challenges, the government is constructing a 60,000-tonne grain silo, which will cost nearly $70 million and is expected to be completed within 12 months. “This will be the first of its kind in Ghana, designed to hold up to 60,000 metric tonnes of grain,” Acheampong disclosed.

The Minister also introduced the Ghana Agriculture and Agribusiness Platform, an initiative aimed at enrolling farmers nationwide and communicating critical farming instructions directly to them through voice messages in their local languages. “This will ensure that farmers receive timely and understandable guidance, preventing issues like planting too early or too late,” Bryan Acheampong explained.

He defended the effectiveness of the government’s small earth dam projects under the “One District, One Dam” initiative, noting their success in mitigating the impact of last year’s drought. “Last year, all our targets and investments yielded results, and maize prices dropped significantly,” Bryan Acheampong said.

Looking forward, Bryan Acheampong assured Ghanaians that the government is committed to expanding irrigation infrastructure, developing more land, and integrating crop calendars with weather data. “We are putting systems in place to avert future challenges,” he said. “This dry spell will not derail the investments we are making in our food systems. By next year, we will be better prepared, even if a similar drought occurs.”

These efforts are part of the broader Food Systems Resilience Program funded by the World Bank, aiming to create a more sustainable agricultural sector in Ghana.