Promoting year-round farming

In the semi-arid landscapes of Northern Ghana, smallholder farmers face increasingly harsh dry seasons lasting from November to April. For the 5,500 members of the Tele-Bere Farmers’ Cooperative – 85% of whom are women – crop failure, water scarcity and livestock losses had become annual realities. Rainfed farming was no longer reliable as climate variability intensified.

Recognising the need for a transformative solution, Tele-Bere sought to create a water-secure, climate-resilient system capable of sustaining production throughout the year and partnered with the Forest and Farm Facility (FFF) to make it possible.

Forest and Farm Facility activities

With FFF support, Tele-Bere installed a solar-powered water system and multipurpose demonstration farm in 2023. The system includes two mechanised boreholes, a submersible pumping unit and six high-capacity solar panels generating enough energy to pump over 36,000 litres of clean water per day.

This irrigates up to eight hectares of farmland, enabling year-round cultivation of tomatoes, okra, sweet potatoes, chilli, cassava, bananas, cashew, millet and maize.

FFF also funded the ‘Passing on the gift’ scheme, which promotes small-scale livestock rearing through which beneficiaries receive breeding pairs of animals and commit to passing offspring to other members, spreading skills and assets organically through the community.

Significance of impact

The solar irrigation system has transformed productivity and food security. Households now cultivate continuously, selling during dry-season price peaks and maintaining consistent diets all year round. Livestock have reliable water, reducing deaths and household losses.

Migration from Kunkua during the dry season has decreased, as young people and adults find productive opportunities locally. The demonstration farm serves as a practical learning hub, showcasing agroecological and agroforestry techniques tailored to climate risks.