Heavy rains have destroyed a critical road in Ghana’s Sissala East Municipality, severing access to over 15,000 hectares of farmland during peak planting season.
The washout at Piribuga between Tumu and Kasana in the Upper West Region has stranded farmers and halted fertilizer distribution, forcing them to transport supplies via motorbikes to salvage crops.
Assembly Member Ibrahim Moro warned the timing is catastrophic: “We are just at the beginning of August—the most important time for fertilizer application. Farmers are stuck and struggling.” Municipal Chief Executive Adamu Yakubu, who inspected the site August 4, called the damage a “looming economic disaster,” noting trucks laden with fertilizer were immobilized. “We cannot allow these investments to go to waste,” he stressed.
While the municipal assembly deploys tipper trucks and drip equipment for temporary access, Yakubu acknowledged these are stopgap measures. Authorities are conducting public education and hazard prevention as repair efforts accelerate. The road’s collapse also disrupts the Trans-ECOWAS trade corridor linking Ghana to Burkina Faso and Togo, amplifying regional economic fallout.
Regional Coordinating Director Pognaa Fati Koree, speaking for the Upper West Regional Minister, confirmed full mobilization of support resources. “The road is a lifeline,” she stated, highlighting risks to crops and livelihoods as the region enters its critical agricultural phase.
