Food insecurity severe in northern Ghana – Dr Sugri  

Dr Issah Sugri, Senior Research Scientist at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research – Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (CSIR-SARI), has observed that food insecurity is significantly severe in northern Ghana than in other parts of the country.

He said poverty, malnutrition, and stunting growth in children less than five years is also very high in the area.

He said research conducted by World Food Programme indicated that the Upper East Region has the worst food insecurity status by 28 per cent, followed by the Upper West Region with 16 per cent and the Northern region with 10 per cent.

Speaking in an interview with Ghana News Agency in Tamale, Dr Sugri said more than 680,000 people were considered either severely or moderately food insecure, 140,000 classified as severely food insecure and had an inferior diet consisting of just staple foods, some vegetables, and oil.

He called on the international organisations to support Ghana to develop production innovations that accelerated farmers’ productive capacity to address the food insecurity situation in the country.

Dr Sugri called on the Government and other stakeholders to advance intensive production and incorporation of high protein cereals, cowpea, soybean, and groundnut into household diets to reduce malnutrition in low-income rural areas.

Source: GNA