As harvesting season begins in late October each year across Northern Ghana, farmers look forward to gathering the fruits of their labour. But in Gonjaland, this period of hope is often overshadowed by anxiety as herdsmen and their livestock increasingly invade farmlands, leaving destruction in their wake.
Across communities such as Damongo, Daboya, Kabampe, Kananto, Sor No.1, and Solepe, cattle invasion of farms has become a recurring crisis—one that occurs mostly at night when herdsmen allegedly lead their animals through cultivated fields. The result is the loss of crops, rising tensions, and in some cases violent clashes between farmers and herdsmen. Some farmers have been attacked, while others retaliate by harming the livestock responsible for the damage. The situation, many say, is now both a security threat and a danger to food production in the Savannah Region.
Already, barely a month into the harvesting season, countless farms have been destroyed, forcing many farmers to spend nights on their farmlands to protect what is left of their crops. The persistent losses are driving some, especially the youth, to consider abandoning farming entirely due to what they describe as a lack of effective control measures from authorities.
Sixty-eight-year-old farmer Malam Abdulai Kamara expressed deep frustration over the trend. “If care is not taken, farmers in Gonjaland will find it difficult to continue farming because of the destruction caused by these cattle. There is no proper compensation system or strategy to address the losses,” he lamented. He accused some herdsmen of deliberately directing their cattle into farms to feed on crops and contaminate water sources, worsening the hardship on farmers.
At Sor No.1, farmer Solomon Peter shared his ordeal in an interview with Radio PAD95.1. “I secured a loan to cultivate two hectares of beans. Just when I began harvesting, the herdsmen and their animals invaded the farm and consumed everything. I’m totally devastated,” he said. According to him, some herdsmen have resorted to attacking farmers who confront them, often escaping with their animals after committing the destruction.
Farmers warn that the continuous destruction of farmlands not only affects individual livelihoods but also threatens food security and economic stability in the entire Savannah Region. They are calling for immediate intervention from traditional authorities, opinion leaders, government, and relevant stakeholders to restore order and prevent escalating tensions.
They insist that without sustainable conflict-resolution measures and stronger enforcement mechanisms, the region risks deeper conflicts and a further decline in agricultural productivity—a dangerous path for a region heavily reliant on farming.
Abdulai Zulkaninu – 0242381890
