Food shortages in parts of the north

A UN food assessment mission to three northern regions of Ghana found some localised food shortages that could deteriorate in the coming months, the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) reported on Wednesday. "The situation was not considered to be an emergency, but rather a poor year following a good year," it reported. At the request of the government, a combined team of FAO and World Food Programme (WFP) experts visited the Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions from 5 to 19 February to evaluate the impact of drought on crop production, livestock and food supplies. Additionally, the team was asked to determine whether there was or would be need for food aid. It found that cereal deficits were likely to be covered by normal commercial movement of food, including non-cereal items, from other parts of Ghana and neighbouring countries, and by 89,000 mt of food already pledged. The reduced yields of major cereal crops in the north stemmed from a shorter rainy season in 2001. The 2001 rains ended in September, when crops were at their grain-filling stage, FAO reported. Also, dry spells in June and July affected early millet that is normally harvested in late July and early August and serves as "an early food source in Upper East Region," FAO said. For most farmers, it said, "the effects of the rainfall pattern on cereal yields were exacerbated by late planting, caused by poor access to traction for land preparation". The irregular start of the rains, it added, also "hit early-sown cereals after emergence so that large areas of land, especially in Northern Region, had to be replanted, usually with groundnut". Moreover, heavy rains in August led to excessive vegetative growth in cereals, especially sorghum, "which delayed grain formation and maturation". FAO reported that pasture was "rapidly becoming depleted" in most northern areas "but not to the extent" that it was causing concern to livestock owners. However, it added, water supplies were lower than normal at watering points for this time of the year. "If some rain falls during the month of April the situation should not be serious, but it might become so if the rains are delayed beyond the end of April," FAO reported. [Full report available on http://www.fao.org/giews/]