A farmer in the Bole District of the Savannah Region, Husob Konhiinye, has lost more than 1,000 tubers of yam to a bush fire.
Despite numerous public awareness campaigns about the dangers of bush fires, many farmers continue to suffer significant losses due to these wildfires.
According to Konhiinye, the fire that destroyed his crops was deliberately set because he had created fire belts around his farm.
“I was shocked when I got here. The yams that got burnt are more than 1,000 tubers and I can’t even send one tuber home. I know someone intentionally did this because a farm can’t just catch fire,” he said.
The Assemblyman for the Bale Electoral Area, Mr David Kawuro Kwesi,who had visited the victim’s farm reiterated the need for residents to protect farmlands against bushfires.
According to him, bushfires have become an annual ritual during the harmattan season, causing havoc to large tracks of farmlands, destroying crops, human lives and animal species.
He said the destruction of cashew plantations, the main economic livelihood for the people of the Bole District, is worrying.
He explained that bushfires could cause multiple direct impacts on lives and properties.
“The devastating impacts of bushfires on plants, animals and the ecosystem cannot be underestimated, that is why the issue demands a national approach to reduce the effects on nation building,” he noted.
The Assemblyman advised farmers, cigarette smokers, hunters to ensure prudent handling of fire to avoid the rampant outbreak of bushfires.
Source: yagbonradioonline