Government to introduce solar-powered irrigation for food security — Mahama

President John Dramani Mahama has reaffirmed his government’s plan to roll out solar-powered irrigation systems to support all-year farming as part of efforts to secure Ghana’s food future.

He noted that Ghana spends about $3 billion annually on food imports, a trend he described as unsustainable.

Speaking at the 41st National Farmers’ Day celebration in Ho on Friday, Mr. Mahama said the Ministry of Food and Agriculture will soon begin distributing solar-powered irrigation systems to farmers across the country.

He explained that the initiative will enable continuous production regardless of rainfall patterns.

Mr. Mahama said the new system will not be limited to communities situated near major water bodies.

According to him, farmers in areas without rivers or streams will also benefit through the drilling of boreholes fitted with solar pumps to power irrigation throughout the year.

“Even if you have a 10-acre farm, we’ll drill a borehole for you, we’ll install a solar water pump, you don’t need electricity. It will supply you water so that you can do year-round agriculture,” he told the gathering.

Mr. Mahama added that efficient irrigation would allow farmers to produce more food on smaller plots of land, reduce post-harvest losses, and help stabilise food prices nationwide.

He stressed the importance of affordable credit for farmers, pledging to prioritise single-digit interest rates to ease production costs.

He also highlighted ongoing interventions under the Feed Ghana programme, which aims to boost crop yields, expand irrigation facilities, strengthen value chains, and reduce food inflation.

As part of these efforts, he said 15 out of 250 planned solar-powered boreholes for vegetable farming have already been completed.

Meanwhile, this year’s Farmers’ Day observation is being held under the theme, “Feed Ghana, Eat Ghana, Secure the Future.”