Food and Agriculture Minister, Bryan Acheampong, has revealed that the government had anticipated the dry spell experienced this year and had projected its impact as far back as February.
In a recent interview on Joy News’ PM Express Business Edition, Bryan Acheampong shared that the Ministry took proactive measures to mitigate the effects of the dry spell, which many feared would lead to a food crisis.
“We knew about the dry spell and had projected its impact as far back as February,” he disclosed, highlighting the Ministry’s early efforts to protect Ghana’s food systems. “We’ve been working to ensure that if it did happen, we would not feel that much of an effect on our food systems,” he added.
The Minister credited the Ministry’s strategic planning for the stability in food prices despite the drought, which could have otherwise had a more severe impact. “It is not something that just dropped out of the sky; it’s something that we planned for, and we are beginning to see the fruits of it,” he emphasized.
However, in August, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) acknowledged that it had not predicted the full severity of the drought affecting northern Ghana. Farmers in the region, having faced over a month without rain, called for government support to address the extensive damage to their crops.
Tanko Bagbara, MoFA’s Head of Public Relations, admitted, “We did not foresee this.” He explained that despite collaboration with the Meteorological Agency, the intensity of the drought caught them off guard.
“The Ministry of Food and Agriculture has worked closely with the meteorological station over the period, and we do heed their advice, but we did not foresee this.”
MoFA has since begun collecting data on affected farmers to prepare for government intervention. “The Ministry is collating this data to inform future decisions,” Tanko confirmed.
Bryan Acheampong acknowledged that while maize prices had risen due to lower production, other staple food prices had remained stable or decreased, thanks to the Ministry’s actions. He stated, “By now, the northern grains should have been on the market. It is not so, but the price of food should have been way through the roof. Yet, there’s a lot of food on the market.”
He noted that while the maize market faced challenges, the overall food supply remained resilient. “Except for maize, every other staple that we consume, the price is either coming down or has been relatively stable,” Acheampong pointed out.