Agriculture is the backbone of Ghana’s economy, and local farmers are echoing this sentiment.
Dry season vegetable farmers in the North East Region are urging the government and NGOs to lend a helping hand to boost their livelihoods and contribute to the country’s economic growth.
Farmers in the region are cultivating crops like cabbage, green pepper, tomatoes, and lettuce, but they are struggling to make ends meet. “We need support with fencing materials, water supply, stable pricing, and farm inputs,” says Mohammed Aminu, a dry season cabbage farmer.
The farmers are particularly concerned about the welfare of young girls in the region. “We want to employ these girls and women on our farms to prevent them from migrating south to engage in kayayei,” they said.
Mohammed A Rahaman, another cabbage farmer, adds, “there’s impact in this dry season farming if we get support. We can employ young girls and women, keeping them from dropping out of school or going for Kayaye.”
With harvest underway, farmers face challenges with low prices, inadequate water supply, and limited access to farm inputs. A bag of cabbage sells at Ghc700, but farmers harvest over 80 bags a day. Buyers travel from Accra and Kumasi to purchase these vegetables, but farmers say the price is not enough. “At least, a bag should be sold at Ghc1000-Ghc1200 considering our costs,” says Aminu.
The women working on the farms as a form of employment say they are earning something but also want government and NGO support for the farmers to keep them working every season.
The farmers appeal to the government and NGOs to intervene and provide necessary support to elevate their livelihoods and contribute to Ghana’s economic stability.
Reporting by Dokurugu Alhassan for Asaase News, North East Region
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