Welcome to the Official Website of the Ministry of Food & Agriculture, Ghana. West Africa.

BACKGROUND

Eastern Region is located in the Southern portion of the Republic of Ghana with Koforidua as the regional capital. It lies between longitude 0° 30” East and 1° 30” West and latitude 5° 30” North and 7° 22” North.

The Region is bounded in the north-east by Brong Ahafo, east by Volta Region, South-east by Greater Accra Region, south-west by Central Region and west and north - west by Ashanti Region

VEGETATION
The region has a length of about 500 km stretching from the south to the north and its vegetation can be categorized as follows

1. The Coastal strand  Mangrove Swamps
2. The Woodland Savannah
3. Savannah grassland
4. The Mangrove Swamps
5. The Deciduous forest

RELIEF AND DRAINAGE
The topography of the region has a low-lying altitude from less than 15 meters above sea level at the coast and 885meters including mountain Afadzato being the highest point.
More than half of the region falls within the Volta River Basin with the Volta Lake draining a substantial portion of the region. The region have the world’s largest manmade lake ,  river Dayi, Oti , Daka several seasonal streams  like Aka , Agali , Kplikpa etc.

SOILS
The major soils are savannah ochrosols, sandy coastal soils, tropical grey earth and  regolistic groundwater laterites, topohydric and Luthochronic Earth .The soil type’s ranges between  heavy clay to sandy loams. Heavy clay loams, sandy loams and alluvial soils .

CLIMATE
The region has tropical climate, characterized by moderate temperature, 21°C -32 °C for most of the years.
The rainfall pattern is bi- modal that is it has two rainfall regimes in the year, the first from March to July and the second from the mid – August to October. Rainfall figures, which vary greatly throughout the region, are highest in the central highland areas and in the forest zone; they are lowest in the Sahel-savannah zone in the north of the region .The annual rainfall ranges from 513.9 mm and 1099.88mm

LAND USE

AGRICULTURAL LAND USE
Percentage distribution of size of farm holdings in the Eastern Region is as follows:
                        Less than 1.2ha           -           77%
                        1.2ha to 2ha                -           16%
                        more than 2ha             -             7%

AVERAGE FARM SIZE FOR VARIOUS CROPS
Sole cropping is predominantly practiced in the Kwahu North District and the average farm sizes there is as follows:
                        Maize              -           2.5 hectares
                        Yam                -           2.5    “
                        Groundnut      -           1.2    “
For the rest of the Region, mixed cropping is predominant and the average farm size is about 1.5 hectares.

TYPES OF FISHERY: (a) CAPTURE FISHERIES, and (b) AQUACULTURE

CAPTURE FISHERIES:-
Fishing from the wild (rivers, streams and lakes).
 It takes place in 6 districts which border the Volta Lake.  These includes Kwahu North, Kwahu South, Fanteakwa, Upper Manya,Lower Manya, and Asuogyaman districts.

Fish species usually landed are:Tilapia, Chrysicthys, Synodontis, Labeo, Bagrus,
Gymnarchus, Heterotis and Alestes.
Number of fishing villages                                              – 313
Total number of canoes                                                 – 5,415
Total number of fishermen                                            – 15,186
Total number of fish processors [                                  – 9,262
Average production per canoe/day                                – 40kg
Estimated Annual fish production                                 – 57,182mt

AQUACULTURE:-
Is the growing of fish. There area two types which are (a) POND CULTURE and (b) CAGE CULTURE

POND CULTURE
The main species cultured are Tilapia, Catfish and Heterotis.

1. Total number of ponds                                    – 192
2. Total area of ponds                                         – 150,136.3 m2
3. Average production (600 m2 )                        – 600 kg
4. Total production from ponds                           – 150,136 kg

 Source: Fisheries Unit E/R (June 2009)    

POND DISTRIBUTION BY DISTRICT AS AT JUNE 2009

CAGE CULTURE

• Possible in all the 6 Districts around the Volta Lake.
• Concentrated currently in Asuogyaman District.
• It’s one of the project activities of APDADP
• A very important poverty alleviation tool
• Total number of fish cages              – 199
• Cage sizes are                                  – 5x5x3, 4.5x4x3, 4x8x3, 8x8x3, 10x10x3, 12x15x3.
• Fish species cultured – Tilapia and Catfish
• Total cage size                                 – 11,721 m3
• Total production (100 fingerlings)    – 390,700 kg

• Heifer Project
• Inland Valley Rice Development Project
• Afram Plains District Agriculture Development Project