Akosombo Dam spillage: We have to quickly act to avert vegetable crisis – Agric minister

The Minister of Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong, has said the areas affected by the Akosombo dam spillage are major vegetable farms, therefore their destruction is crucial to food security in the country.

He said government will channel resources to the Volta region and affected areas to be able to deal properly with the issue.

Acheampong said, “The Volta River is used for a lot of vegetable farming and so if we have such a situation then it tells you that we have to act quickly else we’ll face tomato, onion, and general vegetable challenges in the country.”

“So for us, this is a food emergency that has been triggered and every resource that we can master will be pumped into the Volta Region and the Ada areas that have been heavily affected by the spillage. We are going to live up to the task…,” he told Accra-based Asaase Radio on October 19.

Meanwhile, several homes and properties including land, farms, and communities linked to and around the Akosombo and Kpong dams have been flooded following the spillage of excess water from the two dams used to generate about a third of Ghana’s electricity supply.

The spillage has affected nine districts: Central Tongu, North Tongu, South Tongu, Ada West, Ada East, Keta, Anlo, Shai Osudoku, and Asuogyaman.

All the communities along the lower Volta Basin are currently experiencing widespread power cuts due to the floods.

The government said it has allocated $40 million of the World Bank’s funding to farmers who had been affected by the flood.

SSD/MA

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