Government must prioritize irrigation farming to curb food shortage – GAWU

Ghana's General Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU) says the only way the government can control food shortage in the country is through prioritizing irrigation agriculture.

This comes on the back of reports that prices of foodstuff may continue for some months this year.

But speaking on Starr Midday News with Naa Dedei Tettey Monday, the General Secretary for GAWU, Mr Edward Kareweh explained that nature is one major contributing factor to food shortage adding that irrigation agriculture is the solution.

The General secretary indicated that there should be policy interventions that will allow farmers to produce all year round and irrigation agriculture is the way to go.

“We are already doing irrigation agriculture but the rate at which we are doing it is not in line with our demand for food. Because agriculture is not only for food it is also for industrial use. So there are many other uses for our agricultural produce. Therefore we have to increase irrigation agriculture more importantly around this time of our development,” Mr. Karewaeh stated.

According to him, climate change is hitting so hard on the nation therefore irrigation agriculture should be prioritized by the government.

He added that the food shortage situation may get worse if the government does not take immediate steps on irrigation farming.

“We have to invest more in irrigation agriculture. The government started the One-village One Dam. It was a good policy and a good intervention. But you see, the intention of policies is not the same as the outcome.

“What we should be asking is how many of the One-village One-Dam are surviving now. How many of them have water and how many are farmers using,” he quizzed.