Fire destroys over 300-acre maize farm in Mion

Fire has reduced to piles of ashes a 300-acre maize plantation belonging to Tibzaa Farms at Jimle in the Mion District of the Northern Region.

The cause of the fire is yet to be established.

But residents believe the dry weather condition in the region may have triggered the fire outbreak.

It is estimated that the fire has caused losses of GHC 700,000. Only ashes are left of the once bountiful maize plantation. 

A devastated General Manager for Tibzaa Farms, Alhaji Mahama Sintari, admitted that the loss is immeasurable.

“We have invested with our partners close to GHC 700,000 and out of that, 300 acres have been lost. That is quite substantial considering the Northern Region and how poverty is endemic.

“For me, that is a significant worry because this appears to be an annual event that occurs and farmers are left to throw their hands in the air. Something can be done among others like security agencies and the chiefs to ensure that the by-laws in the country are enforced,” Citi News reported.

Alhaji Sintari further indicated that though several attempts were made to stop the fire, the efforts proved futile.

He, however, attributed the incident to the indiscriminate bush burning and called on the authorities to implement laws to stop such practice especially during the harmattan season.

Alhaji Sintari said Tibzaa Farms which employed over 150 workers will need government support to revive its business adding that more investment will be needed in the agricultural sector.

Bushfires in the five northern regions have a notoriety for burning down farms particularly in the harmattan season.

On December 31, 2019, over 400 hectares of rice farms along the Fumbisi-Gbedembilisi-Yagaba rice valleys were completely burned by the fires.

In January 2013, forty rice farmers in the Northern Region were thrown into a state of anguish as fire razed down their rice farms, totalling over 350 acres.

 

A spark of fire from the engine of a rickety combine harvester that was being used at a rice farm lighted the rice plants and due to the intensity of the winds, it degenerated into an uncontrollable blaze and spread to other farms.