An imminent food crisis is looming over the Volta River Basin, and the country for that matter, due to the prolonged drought and subsequent crop failure last year.

The possibility of severe hunger,poverty and the need for emergency food imports cannot be ruled out.`

This was the finding of a recent research by the Accelerator for Systematic Risk Assessment (ASRA) in the latter part of last year.

ASRA, supported by the United Nations Foundation, is an independent non-profit initiative that advances the fields and practice of systematic risk, and prosperity of all people,
societies, species and ecosystems.

The research finding was made available to the media at a workshop on ‘Agrifood system risks in the Volta River Basin, Ghana’ before the New Year.

The workshop was also attended by officials of the Department of Agriculture and the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO).

Food insecurity

A member of ASRA Network, Sylvanus Doe, said at the workshop that if the rainfall pattern did not change for the better this year, the food insecurity situation might be worse.

He said it was important the government assisted farmers to diversify their crops and work in cooperative groups.

Mr Doe said it was also crucial to help farmers to have easy access to seeds.

For now, he said,the government could import maize to serve as a buffer against the food crisis,for three months.

The Volta Regional Director of Agriculture, William Dzamefe, said there was a need to commit resources to irrigation, adding that there were enough water bodies in the country.

He said with irrigation on a much larger scale,the country could achieve food security.

For instance,the bountiful all-year-round production of vegetables in Anloga was the result of extensive irrigation in the area,Mr Dzamefe added.