Farmers count losses after flood disaster

By Philip Tengzu 

Kaleo, (UW/R), Sept. 14, GNA – Some farmers at Kaleo in the Nadowli-Kaleo District are counting their losses following a flood disaster that washed away their farms over a week ago and have appealed for government’s support for assistance. 

The farmers said the flood did not only destroy their crops, but also left them in a dilemma as it had covered their fields with sand making the fields unfit for crops or vegetable production.  

“During the dry season, we cultivate vegetables like okra, cabbage, onions, and many others, but as we speak now, we cannot cultivate anything here again. As you can see, we are now standing on sand, nothing can grow here.  

“If someone tells you what he gets from this garden in the dry season, you will be surprised, but we have lost everything now,” Mr Joseph Samwine, an affected farmer at Kaleo said. 

The farmers, who spoke to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview at Kaleo, indicated that they had no other alternative place to do their dry season farming since access to water would be a challenge to them. 

It would be recalled that the GNA reported Monday, September 4, 2023, that a heavy downpour on the night of Saturday, September 2, 2023, caused a dam at Kaleo to overflow its banks causing considerable damage to the main Wa-Nadowli road while washing away farms.  

Mr Samwine recounted that the crops that were destroyed included rice, maize, cassava, and palm seedlings among others.   

“We used to be here during the dry season and because of that we don’t think of going to do galamsey. This is our small galamsey, but now that this has happened, we don’t know what to do.  

“We will accept any support that the government has for us,” Mr Peter Konkaamane, another farmer said.  

Mr Eugene Yengdeme, another affected farmer, explained that the dugout wells they used for watering the crops had all been filled up with sand as a result of the flood and that vegetable production in the area during the dry season would be affected. 

Meanwhile, Mr Fusca Nengkpeng, the Assembly Member for Kaleo East Electoral Area, told the GNA that the Upper West Regional Minister had directed the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) to assess the damage caused by the flood on the farmers for possible support. 

However, at the time the GNA visited the disaster site, it gathered that the NADMO officials were yet to visit the site to assess the damage caused to the farmers. 

Meanwhile, Mr Ahmed Mustapha, the Upper West Regional NDMO Director, said plans were in place to assist the farmers.  

GNA

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