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The Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMA) in the Bono Region has held a capacity sensitization training on seasonal weather forecasts and climate change on Tuesday, 25th March, for peasant farmers from Chiraa community enclave in Sunyani West Municipal.
The training forms part of the 2025 World Meteorological Day observation on the theme “Closing the Early Warning Gap Together” with the overall aim to support farmers and other agriculture value-chain actors in assess climate-related information.
The meteorological agency in the Bono Region embarked on education tour on radio stations and organized durbars with traders and farmers to educate them on weather forecasts and climate change as part of their activities to mark the day.
The Acting Bono Regional Meteorological Officer, Mr. Felix Amankwah Darkwah and his team schooled over 40 peasant farmers on how to determine rainfall and temperature.
He noted that knowing the seasonal weather forecast could help farmers plan their farming activities within the year.
The Meteorological Agency encouraged farmers to plant hybrid seeds, acknowledging their numerous benefits, including high-yield crops.
Additionally, participants were motivated to adopt more plants on their farmlands to provide shade and protect their crops from external catastrophes, including heavy winds.
Participants were also advised to plant their crops within the second week of March to the middle of April for the main crop season, as this period seems appropriate for farm activities due to favourable weather conditions.
Mr. Felix Amankwah Darkwah told Kaakyire Kwasi Afari of Sunyani-based Ark FM that participatory integrated agricultural services with farmers also enabled them to use rainfall history to calculate the risk involved in planting at a particular time and decide when and what to plant.
The acting GMA regional officer schooled the farmers on the need to practice organic farming by desisting from abusing chemicals on crops, noting their harmful effects on humans and crops.
Mr. Darkwah urged farmers to monitor their daily weather forecast in local languages on radio stations to update themselves on seasonal areas to cultivate their crops and the type of crops to plant.
Mr. Ahmed Ibrahim, the assembly member for Asibea electoral area, commended the Ghana Meteorological Agency, stressing that farmers have received in-depth knowledge on farming to improve their crop yields.
He vowed to be an ambassador of climate change by educating other farmers to adopt modern agricultural practices while encouraging farmers to engage in tree planting.
Some participants, while commending the Agency for organizing such public education, urged the Ghana Meteorological Agency to organize such fruitful events before the main planting season.
However, some farmers who spoke with Kaakyire Kwasi Afari were enthused with optimism that there will be massive improvements in agro-proceeds following the education.
They bemoaned the Fulani herdsmen invasion on their farms, which has had a devastating effect on their farms, destroying their crops, with a call on the government and the Bono Regional Minister for their interventions to curb the menace.
Credit: Kaakyire Kwasi Afari
