Floods devastate Weta rice farming community

The Weta Rice Farming Community in the Ketu North Municipality of the Volta Region, has suffered extensive damage following torrential rains that triggered severe flooding, destroying farmlands, damaging infrastructure and disrupting the livelihoods of thousands of residents.

A statement issued to the Ghana News Agency, said the community, one of Ghana's largest rice-producing areas, cultivated about 800 hectares of rice and has recorded significant losses after more than 200 acres of its fields were submerged.

It said hundreds of smallholder farmers who had invested heavily in land preparation, planting and crop management lost their crops within hours, as floodwaters swept through the farming landscape.

The statement said roads and access routes leading to the farms were washed away, making it difficult for farmers to reach their fields or transport agricultural inputs and harvested produce.

“Warehouses as well as Sections Two, Four and Five of the farming areas were also severely damaged,” it added.

It said the disaster had affected more than 1,024 households, with an estimated 5,000 people directly impacted, leaving many farming families without their primary source of income, raising concerns over food security and livelihoods.

Mr Yohaness Fiagah, the Ketu North Municipal Focal Person of the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG), described the flooding as one of the worst disasters to hit the Weta Rice Farming Community in recent years.

He said many farmers had invested their life savings into the current farming season only to have their rice fields destroyed by the floods.

Mr Fiagah noted that the destruction of roads, farm access routes and warehouses had further worsened the situation and was hampering recovery efforts.

He appealed to the Government, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), development partners and other well-meaning organisations to provide immediate assistance to affected farmers.

The Focal Person said urgent support was needed to restore livelihoods, rehabilitate damaged infrastructure, and enable farmers to resume production as quickly as possible.

GNA