The Sissala East Municipality in the Upper West Region is grappling with a major agricultural crisis following the destruction of a key access road by torrential rains.
The flood-induced damage to the road has rendered over 15,000 hectares of farmland inaccessible, threatening livelihoods, food security, and ongoing farming activities in the area.
This alarming development was confirmed by the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Adamu Yakubu, during a visit to the affected site at Piribuga, located between Tumu and Kasana.
The road, which connects several farming communities, was completely washed away after heavy overnight rainfall, cutting off access to vast stretches of farmland and disrupting the transportation of fertilisers and other essential farm inputs.
“As you can see, trucks carrying fertilisers have reached this point and cannot proceed,” the MCE lamented. “If you want to estimate the number of farms within this area, there are over 15,000 hectares of farmland affected. This is a big challenge to the municipality.”
The MCE described the situation as a critical setback at a crucial stage of the farming season, noting that the inability to access farms has stalled fertiliser application and other farm operations. “We have invested thousands of Ghana cedis into our farms,” he stated. “We cannot allow that to go to waste.”
In the short term, the municipal assembly is deploying drip equipment and tipper trucks to manage the situation, but Mr Yakubu stressed that these are only temporary interventions.
Piribuga is not only an important farming zone but also part of a broader Trans-ECOWAS trade corridor, which links Ghana to Burkina Faso and Togo. The current disruption has far-reaching implications for both local agricultural production and regional trade.
Mr Yakubu assured residents and stakeholders that he is working tirelessly to mobilise support. “As Municipal Chief Executive, I am committed to doing everything possible to ensure this road is fixed immediately,” he said.
He also urged community members to exercise caution. With no road signs or barriers, there is a high risk of accidents at the site of the washout. The assembly, in collaboration with local youth groups, chiefs, and assembly members, is undertaking public education to ensure safe passage until proper repairs are carried out.
Speaking on behalf of the Upper West Regional Minister, Pognaa Fati Koree, the Regional Coordinating Director acknowledged the devastating impact of the recent flood, which washed away a critical bridge linking nine farming communities in the Sissala East Municipality.
“Given the extent of the damage and the importance of this bridge as a lifeline for several communities, the regional administration is coordinating efforts to mobilise all available drip equipment to provide temporary access, especially to enable farmers to apply fertiliser during this crucial period,” the director said.
The Assembly Member for the area, Ibrahim Moro, also voiced grave concern over the situation, emphasising the dire implications for farmers during a critical point in the agricultural calendar.
“We are just at the beginning of August—this is the peak period for fertiliser application,” he explained. “Every morning, you’ll find scores of farmers gathered at this broken stretch of road, trying to find ways to transport fertiliser to their farms.”
According to him, the destruction of the road has forced farmers to adopt complicated and costly alternatives. Fertiliser brought from Tumu now has to be offloaded and reloaded onto other motorbikes from the affected communities just to reach nearby farms.
Reporting in the Upper West Region by Alhassan Tajudeen
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