Agriculture Minister Dr. Bryan Acheampong has recommended that the World Bank-funded food systems resilience initiative be restructured to restore farmers whose farms have been destroyed due to the necessary action taken by the Volta River Authority.
The 40 million-dollar fund, according to the minister, will restore hope to the affected farmers following the devastating impact of the spillage on their farmlands.
Dr. Bryan Acheampong stated this on Wednesday, October 18, when he addressed guests of the presidential conference on the “Youth in Agriculture” programme held at the Cedi Conference Centre, University of Ghana.
“We have all witnessed the devastation as a result of the necessary action the VRA had to take to save the Akosombo Dam. As a result, several farmers have been affected, and a lot of them have been completely wiped out.
“I have directed that due to this emergency, 40 million dollars of the World Bank-funded food systems resilience programme be restructured to restore farmers fully whose farms have been wiped out due to the necessary action taken by the VRA to save us all” the Food and Agriculture Minister Bryan Acheampong stated.
Following the spillage, large areas of land, including farms and villages, have been inundated downstream of the Akosombo and Kpong dams.
The VRA started the spillage at the Akosombo and Kpong dams, both in the Eastern Region, on 15 September 2023, following a rise in the water level of both reservoirs due to appreciable levels of rainfall.
The spillage affected nine districts which include almost all the communities along the lower Volta Basin, resulting in widespread power cuts in the affected communities.
The districts affected are Central Tongu, North Tongu, South Tongu, Ada West, Ada East, Keta, Anlo, Shai Osudoku, and Asuogyaman.
In all, about 26,000 persons are said to be displaced as a result of the spillage. The GRIDCo sub-station in Fievie, Sogakope, in the Volta Region, has been inundated, leading to the shutting down of the station.
