More than 170 farms have been destroyed by bushfires in the Atebubu Amantin Municipality in the Bono East Region of Ghana, putting the governments flagship Planting for Food and Jobs programme at a serious risk this year.
As a result, a Regional Anti-bushfire campaign project has been launched to mitigate the effects of bushfires in the region.
The launch brought together hundreds of farmers, fire volunteers from various farming communities in the region. Regional Fire Commander DOI George Anim Frimpong disclosed that the incidents happened between December 2019 and February 2020. He said the incidents calls for the retraining and resourcing the rural fire unit of the Fire Service as a means of reducing fire outbreaks in the area and the Region at large.
Bono East Regional Minister and Member of Parliament for Atebubu Amantin Constituency Mr. Kofi Amoakohene said the phenomenon is a threat to agriculture development which forms part is government’s efforts at reducing unemployment especially in rural areas. He added that the situation could hinder the impact of the Planting for Food and Jobs programme as well as the Planting for Export and Rural Development programme.
The Regional Anti-bushfire Campaign would provide staff of the Ghana National Fire Service and Fire Volunteers the platform to reflect and sensitize the general public on the devastating effects of bushfires in region.
Some affected farmers call for government to intensify the fight by enforcing the various by-laws governing bushfires.
