The Wa Municipal Director of the Department of Agriculture, Mr Frederick Vuozie Doma, has said the erratic rainfall situation experienced in the northern parts of Ghana is attributable to an atmospheric phenomenon called aphelion.
According to scientific estimates, the aphelion phenomenon takes the Earth 152 million kilometres from the Sun. The distance from Earth to the Sun is 90 million kilometres.
Speaking in an interview with Info Radio, Mr Vuozie said the aphelion is a strange, rare phenomenon in Ghana. He said the furtherness of the Earth from the Sun is adversely affecting rainfall patterns.
“We are saddened by the erratic rains this year. The rainfall pattern has changed. What we are experiencing now is what we call the aphelion phenomenon. This is the first time we are experiencing it in Ghana.”
Mr Vuozie, however, said that metrological reports have indicated that the phenomenon would last until the end of August 2024. He expressed optimism the rains would resume after the forecasted period.
He advised farmers whose crops are due for fertilizer application to do that immediately after the rain start coming.
The Municipal Agric Director added that the meteorologists have also stated that there would be an extended rainfall period this year until November.
However, he admonished farmers who were yet to plant their crops to consider early maturing varieties to avoid disappointments in rainfall.
The erratic rainfall this year has spoken volumes of the much-talked-about climate change, SDG 13, which should be a clarion call for the adoption of climate resilient agricultural practices, including agroforestry.
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