The Department of Environmental Science at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has hosted a dissemination forum on the “Perceived Economic Impact of Climate Change on Vegetable Growers in Ghana: A Case Study of the Kumasi Metropolis.”
The program, which brought together farmers, government officials, academics, and youth leaders, underscored the urgent threat climate change poses to agriculture and highlighted both the opportunities and barriers in building climate resilience.
In his address, Dr. Samuel Owusu Ampofo, Director of Agriculture at the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), warned of worsening conditions for farmers in 2024 and 2025, driven by unpredictable rainfall, late rains, and early cessation of the farming season.
“Farmers are forced to replant multiple times and spend more on land preparation. For many poor farmers, this is unsustainable,” he explained. He added that reduced pasture for livestock is compounding the crisis, undermining food security and farmer incomes.
Dr. Ampofo urged climate-smart farming methods, investments in irrigation systems, and better weather prediction models to safeguard Ghana’s agricultural future.
Officials assured participants that recommendations from the research will be integrated into the KMA’s planning agenda and forwarded to policymakers in Accra. Ghana, a signatory to international climate agreements, has rolled out support through subsidies, irrigation projects, and flagship initiatives.
But delays in input distribution remain a critical setback. Fertilizer and seed supplies are often late, partly due to global disruptions such as the Russia–Ukraine war. “Sometimes farmers receive the inputs after the planting season, making them less useful,” one participant noted.
Government representatives highlighted ongoing reforms, including direct procurement, the use of Ghana Card data, and potential digital monitoring tools to improve efficiency and curb leakages across porous borders.
