The General Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU) of Ghana has emphasized that the key to addressing the country’s food shortage lies in prioritizing irrigation agriculture, especially in the face of ongoing reports predicting sustained high food prices.
During an interview on Starr Midday News with Naa Dedei Tettey, Mr. Edward Kareweh, the General Secretary of GAWU, pointed out that natural factors significantly contribute to food shortages, underscoring the pivotal role of irrigation agriculture in resolving the issue.
Mr Kareweh stressed the need for policy interventions that enable year-round farming, emphasizing that irrigation agriculture is crucial.
He acknowledged the existing efforts in irrigation agriculture but highlighted the importance of scaling up to meet the growing demand for food, considering agriculture’s diverse applications, including industrial use.
While acknowledging the government’s One-village One-Dam initiative as a positive step, Mr Kareweh urged a closer examination of its effectiveness and sustainability.
He urged increased investment in irrigation agriculture, citing the impact of climate change as a pressing reason for immediate government action.
Mr Kareweh warned that without prompt measures in irrigation farming, the food shortage situation could worsen, emphasizing the need for a more substantial commitment to irrigation agriculture beyond existing policies.
“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.
“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.