Some farmers within the Nandom Municipality have expressed fear of loosing their investments to drought. The farmers say their crops have become stunted due to the lack of rains.
According to them the effect of this year’s drought on their crops is dire and could lead to untoward financial hardships. A farmer in Goziir a farming community in the Nandom Municipality, Maximus Kplibu explained that if they are unable to harvest as much as they are supposed to, they might not have enough resources to be able to feed their families till the next farming season. Mr Kplibu stressed that they had completely lost hope in the yields of their farms.
Maxmus Kpilibu spoke to Radio Waa News when the news team visited his farm in Goziir. Mr Kplibu mentioned that although Nandom had experienced droughts in the past years, this year’s drought could be considered as the most severe in very recent times.
He added that, aside the lack of rains, the inability of some ‘poor’ farmers to acquire fertilizer has resulted in many farmers getting poor yields especially those who have begun the cultivation of Soya Bean.
The farmer was again worried that the fall army worms still devastate acres of crops in the Goziir. Mr Kplibu lamented that the pests are militating against the the growth of the crops; particularly Maize, Millets, Soya Bean and cowpea.
Meanwhile, to help address the difficulties of farmers’ access to inputs, Tieme Ndo, a social enterprise in the Nandom Municipality has for the past few years been giving farmers inputs for their farms on credit.
The Director of Operations at Tieme Ndo, Moses Yaanemenga said for farmers to make any profits off their investments, they need support; the reason for the credit facilities provided by the organization to farmers.
Tieme Ndo works with hundreds of farmers across the Nandom Municipality, Lambussie District and the Lawra Municipality. Farmers are provided with certified seeds, fertilizers and other pesticides for their farms.
Touching on the re-emergence of the fall army worms, Mr Yaanemenga mentioned that Tieme Ndo supported farmers with chemicals to deal with the fall army worms.
He reaffirmed the fears of farmers that until the rains begin to fall like they are supposed to, yields of farmers would be affected which would in the affect the incomes on farmers. The Director of Operations of Tieme Ndo was quick to add that the COVID-19 pandemic had done farmers no favours too. He decried the negative effects of the pandemic on the activities of farmers and markets for produce.
He said the organisation would continue to support farmers until they become self reliant.
