In the rural areas of north-western Ghana, agriculture is an important source of income and livelihood. However, the erratic rainfall patterns due to unpredictable climatic conditions threaten productivity.
To change this, the MOAP NW project has handed over a solar-powered irrigation system to the Dissah community and the Savannah Region Director of Agriculture. This enables the community to irrigate their vegetables all year round. For the farmers in Dissah in the North Gonja district, the installation came at the right time. The yields from their fields were unpredictable and often insufficient to meet the basic needs of their families.
Thanks to the solar plant, farmers can now reliably grow vegetables all year round. It has a reservoir that can hold up to 10,000 litres of water. From there, the water is channelled through a network of 10 standpipes and pipelines to irrigate the cultivated areas.
The Commercialisation of vegetable farming in the Dissah community.
Okra farmer Mary Maana is enthusiastic about the new irrigation system: “It allows me to increase agricultural productivity. This improves my family’s nutrition and livelihoods for the whole region.”
The Dissah system provides a reliable water supply to more than 40 women vegetable farmers. Each of them is given a 100-square-metre plot in a fenced irrigation area of one hectare. Thanks to the reliable water supply and constant production, these women have made the transition to commercialisation.