A violent thunderstorm on Saturday, May 25, tore through Maphlix Trust Farms at Tadzewu in the Ketu North Municipality of the Volta Region, leaving a trail of destruction and an estimated loss of US$ 588,598.35.
The rainstorm, which raided the prominent agricultural enterprise in the region, destroyed 27 greenhouses, fertigation tanks, administrative buildings, irrigation systems, and crops.
This was in a situational report jointly prepared by Mr Isaac Korku Dorgbetor, Research Manager, and Abdul-Razak Adama, the Operations Manager after a thorough study of the extent of damage to the farms and property.
The report indicated that the relentless downpour caused extensive flooding, submerging vast areas of the farm.
“This deluge proved catastrophic for Maphlix Trust Farms’ operations. The storm’s damage, destroyed 27 greenhouses, which are specialised structures, and fertigation tanks.”
The structures, they said, were crucial for cultivating crops in a controlled environment.
“This vital infrastructure is essential for maintaining optimal growing conditions and ensuring healthy crop yields. The most heart-wrenching consequence of disaster was the complete destruction of the crops themselves.”
The report stated that acres of meticulously cultivated plants were submerged and lost, delivering a devastating blow to the farm’s production capacity.
“This loss not only impacts Maphlix Trust Farms’ income but also disrupts the food supply chain, potentially affecting the employment and foreign exchange reserves of the country.”
The report further stated that a total of 30 acres of okro farms, 15 acres of Chilli, 10 acres of sweet potato, and 55 acres of installed irrigation among several others were carried away by the flood.
On the administration portion, the report stated that the storm ripped through the roofs of buildings made up of offices, changing rooms, input store rooms, produce handling center, and staff rooms.
Important documents and equipment, including a personal laptop and parts of a Suzuki Trooper vehicle, were not spared.
Additionally, over 800 bags of fertilizers and farming items got lost, bringing a significant setback for the farm’s operations.
The report also explained that immediate response measures such as personnel safety and assessment were conducted to ensure all workers were accounted for and unharmed.
The report revealed that efforts were underway to salvage any usable materials from the destroyed Greenhouses to prevent further crop damage.
Dr Felix Kamassah, the Managing Director of the entity, one of the largest vegetable producers in the country, told the GNA that their outfit had made several appeals to the Ghana Irrigation Development Authority to dredge the Agortor River, which served as a major source of water for some dwellers of communities in the Ketu North Municipality but all to no avail.
He also noted that the insurance companies in the country were unwilling to insure the farms as part of their services.
Dr Kamassah, who is also the President of Vegetable Producers and Exporters Association of Ghana, said the level of damage required adequate capital ingestion for restoration.
He is, therefore, calling on the government, corporate entities, the international community, and others for assistance.
Mr Anthony Avorgbedor, the Municipal Chief Executive for the area, who visited the sites with Nadmo officials for an assessment, pledged to forward a report to all appropriate quarters for swift intervention.
Mr Meli Attipoe, the Assembly Member for Tadzewu, told the GNA that the flood situation also extended to several farms and homes within the area.
A cross-section of residents the GNA engaged appealed to the Ghana Irrigation Development Authority to dredge the river without any further delay.
Maphlix Trust Farms is notable for exporting vegetables daily to the European market before the disaster.
