Farmers appeal for rehabilitation of Vea Irrigation Dam

Young farmers benefitting from the Vea Irrigation Dam in the Upper East Region have appealed to government to rehabilitate the broken canals and laterals to enable them to engage in dry season farming.

The youth, who spoke to the Ghana News Agency after de-silting some of the canals and laterals, said if the repairs could not be done fully, the broken ones could be de-silted to enable them to farm during the dry season this year.

The Vea Irrigation Dam, constructed in 1965, had over the years supplied water to several communities including Vea, Bongo, Nyariga, Yorogo, Yorogo-Gabisi, Dindubisi, Bolgatanga, Zaare, Yikene, Gowrie and Sumbrungu.

However, the Dam has not seen any major rehabilitation leading to a reduction in the supply of water due to the broken down canals and laterals.

It is the main source from which water is treated and supplied to the entire Bolgatanga Municipality and its environs but the previous capacity of 7,000 cubic metres has reduced to 4,000.

As a result of the bad siltation and deterioration of the Dam, it had thrown about 4,000 farmers out of business, particularly those who engaged in dry season farming.

A visit to the facility by the Ghana News Agency uncovered that it had developed siltation challenges on both the left and right canals as well as the laterals that transport water from the main reservoir to the farming communities.

Mr Apiko Ayorogo, the Leader of the group, explained that the Dam contributed immensely to improved farm yield due to the erratic rain pattern experienced in the Region.

He said young farmers who cultivated crops such as rice, soyabeans, millet, sorghum, and vegetables could no longer do so leading to high migration rates.