as Feed Ghana Programme Delivers Dams and Boreholes
Nine months into the Mahama administration’s flagship Feed Ghana Programme, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Hon Eric Opoku has unveiled a slate of infrastructure gains aimed at bolstering northern and transitional zone farming.
According to the Minister, the government’s achievements include ten new small dams, eight rehabilitated irrigation facilities, and over 250 solar-powered boreholes moves designed to insulate smallholders from erratic rains and position Ghana as a rice self-sufficiency contender, though looming inland valley projects will strain fiscal and logistical bandwidth.
The initiative, a cornerstone of the National Democratic Congress’s post-2024 economic reset, targets the savannah belts where climate vulnerability bites deepest.
Construction of the ten small dams details sparse but centred on northern clusters promises expanded dry-season cultivation, while rehabilitation of eight legacy irrigation sites seeks to revive underutilised assets plagued by siltation and neglect under the prior New Patriotic Party regime.
Complementing these are 250 solar boreholes dotting farming communities and senior high schools across the five northern regions, Bono, and Ahafo a nod to off-grid resilience amid rising energy costs.
Ongoing rehabilitation efforts underscore the programme’s geographic spread. In the Upper East, the Vea scheme spanning Bolgatanga and Bongo districts covers 850 hectares, a vital artery for staple crops in a parched corridor.
Volta’s Weta project in Ketu North Municipal eyes 880 hectares, bridging southern deficits, while Bono East’s Tanoso in Techiman Municipal (100 hectares) and the cross-regional Kpong scheme (930 hectares across Shai Osudoku, Lower Manya, Greater Accra, and Eastern) aim to green urban peripheries.
Smaller-scale revamps include Ashaiman’s 200-hectare plot in Greater Accra and Aveyime’s 245 hectares in Volta, each poised to lift yields for peri-urban producers.
Borehole rollout shows mixed momentum: Of 25 units earmarked, 15 stand complete, with the balance slated for Q1 2026 delivery a timeline that risks slippage if procurement snags recur.
An additional 44 solar installations target select northern districts, enhancing water security for herders and irrigators alike.
The real litmus test lies ahead in new inland valley developments for rice expansion, where preparatory works have commenced on five sites totaling over 1,200 hectares.
Ashanti dominates with Anunuso (175 hectares across Brofoyedu, Nkwawkwanua, and Awaham communities), Atonsu-Abramaso (150 hectares), and the paired Odaho-Odamu valleys in Yaw Nkrumah and Donuaso (114 hectares), plus Waamu-Kumi-Offinho (114 hectares).
Bono East’s sprawling Kawampe project (647 hectares, encompassing Kwawampe, Tanfulto, and six other communities) could emerge as a rice hub, but community land disputes and funding flows will dictate pace.
These strides, while incremental, signal a pragmatic pivot from the Akufo-Addo era’s stalled agricultural pledges, potentially yielding 20-30% output gains in targeted zones if maintenance holds.
Yet, with global fertiliser prices volatile and northern insecurity a wildcard, the programme’s success hinges on seamless execution lest it join the graveyard of Ghanaian development blueprints undermined by graft or inertia.
As Mahama eyes export ambitions, these water works could fortify food sovereignty, but only if the valleys bloom as promised.