Northern Region records food surpluses

Wungu, (N/R), Nov. 8, GNA- The Northern Region this year recorded food surpluses of over 918,147, metric tonnes in all the major food crops as a result of the good policies of government and the favourable rainfall pattern experienced in the region this year. The production of maize was expected to increase from 88,038 metric tonnes as at last year to 131,859 metric tonnes this year, while rice production is expected to increase from 62,532 metric tonnes last year to 105,496 metric tones this year.

Mr. Sylvester Adongo, Northern Regional Director of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) announced this at the 24th Regional Farmers Day celebration in Wungu, in the West Mamprusi District on Friday. This year's celebration was under the theme: Globalization: its effect on agriculture production in Ghana". He said yam production was also expected to increase from 791,567 metric tonnes to 1,078, 354 metric tonnes this year adding that the production of millet, groundnut, sorghum, cowpea and soybean were all expected to show an increase of more than 2,000 metric tonnes over last years production.

He said translating this into the food security status of the region meant that, maize was expected to provide a surplus of 10,007 metric tonnes, rice 24,464 metric tonnes, yam 817,837 metric tonnes, millet 22,413 metric tonnes, cowpea 17,199 metric tonnes and sorghum 26,227 metric tonnes. Mr. Adongo attributed the boost in food production in the region to the government putting measures in place to help farmers produce more food, especially the provision of GH¢ 1,281,406.00 as direct support for dry season vegetable farming and maize and rice cultivation by pro-poor farmers.

He said the region needed to put storage structures in place to stock the food surpluses.

Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris, Northern Regional Minister said the global financial crisis was bound to affect every country and Ghana therefore needed to consciously monitor trends and challenges ahead. He said the developed nations which were more faced with the challenges would be looking forward to exploring markets and investment in Africa and Ghana needed to take advantage of it to develop agriculture as the opportunities unfold. He said there was the need to adopt sustainable natural resource management approaches that could globally enhance food security without creating ecological imbalances that may create problems for mankind in the future.