Farmers protest over destruction of crops in Bumbula

Farmers in Bumbula in the Biakoye District of the Oti Region have staged a protest over the persistent destruction of their farms, allegedly by Fulani herdsmen and their cattle.

Clad in red and singing traditional songs, the aggrieved farmers expressed outrage over what they described as the latest invasion by about 1,000 cattle, which has destroyed vast acres of farmland and threatened their livelihoods.

They said the situation had also affected trading activities at the Bumbula market, the second busiest in the district after the Abotoase market, as foodstuffs meant for sale were increasingly being destroyed by the roaming cattle.

The area, which is surrounded by the Volta Lake and its tributaries, is known for producing a variety of crops, including vegetables, yam, plantain, maize and cassava.

Long-standing concerns

Speaking to the Daily Graphic last Tuesday, the Divisional Chief of the Nkonya-Wurupong Traditional Area, Nana Kwabena Osei Brakatu I, said the problem had persisted for over a decade.

He said repeated appeals to the Biakoye District Assembly and the security agencies had yielded no results, leaving residents increasingly frustrated.

Nana Osei Brakatu warned that the people might be compelled to take matters into their own hands if urgent steps were not taken to halt the destruction.

Calls for intervention

The Assembly Member for the Bumbula Electoral Area, Justice Gomah Agbedumasi, appealed for the construction of access roads to ease the difficulty farmers faced in transporting their produce to market centres.

When contacted, the Biakoye District Chief Executive, Eric Oppong, said the Assembly had consistently sought to address the situation through community engagement and by driving the herdsmen away from farming areas.

He explained that although the herdsmen had been asked to leave and had complied at some point, some of them continued to return unnoticed.

Mr Oppong expressed satisfaction that the community had taken steps to drive them away, adding that the Assembly would continue to work towards a lasting solution.