Upper East Region records high yields in major crops

The Upper East Region has recorded higher yields in its major crops except for sorghum in 2020 as compared to 2019, despite the poor rainfall pattern and floods that destroyed some farms.

Mr Timothy Zangina, the Regional Officer in charge of statistics, Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), responding in an interview on the Region’s production levels with the GNA in Bolgatanga, said Maize and rice performed well.

While maize yield shot up from 161,124 metric tonnes recorded in 2019 to 168,397 metric tons in 2020, rice recorded an increase from 127,052 in 2019 to 129,717 in 2020.

Millet yield also increased to 51,174 tonnes, as compared to 2019 that recorded 50,414.

Mr Zangina said Sorghum production dropped from 78,365 metric tonnes in 2019 to 72,716 metric tonnes in the 2020 cropping season and attributed it to the overwhelming floods experienced in the Region last year.

Among other crops that recorded increased production trends in the past two years were cowpea, soya beans and groundnuts, he said.

Mr Zangina said Groundnut production increased from 48,689 metric tonnes in 2019 to 56,169 metric tonnes in 2020 and Cowpea production went up to 35,921 metric tonnes last year from 31,158 in 2019 while soya beans recorded 28,624 metric tonnes from 22,783 metric tonnes during the same period.

Meanwhile, maize production in 2016 yielded 81,648 metric tonnes, rice yielded 82,923 metric tonnes, millet, 43,318 tonnes and sorghum 55,732 tonnes.

In the 2015 production year maize yield was 76,903 metric tonnes, rice 99,749, whilst millet yielded 42,069 and sorghum 51,900 metric tonnes.

In 2014, maize yield was 59,627 metric tonnes, whilst rice yield was 81,010 metric tonnes and millet and sorghum yielded 41,541 and 48,110 metric tonnes respectively.