Resources have been allocated to enable the National Buffer Stock Company to purchase excess maize and rice grains on the market, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) has said.
A statement said the move was in anticipation of bumper grain harvest in the 2025 season, “alongside unsold carry-over stocks from the 2024 harvest.”
“To address the issue of a likely glut situation, Government has, for the first time since the establishment of the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO), provided significant resources to enable NAFCO to purchase surplus produce for storage.
“This intervention will not only reduce post-harvest losses but also guarantee the availability of food reserves to cushion the nation against future shortages and emergencies,” it said.
The Ministry has urged farmers to remain “calm and confident”, as NAFCO prepared to purchase their grains and mitigate any adverse effects of excess grains.
“The general public is assured that MoFA, working with all relevant agencies and stakeholders, is fully engaged in ensuring that every grain produced by Ghanaian farmers finds a sustainable and profitable market,” it added.
The Chamber of Agribusiness Ghana (CAG) had indicated that the country’s grain industry was edging towards crisis, with more than 100,000 metric tonnes of maize and rice from the 2024 harvest unsold.
According to CAG, the glut had forced farmers to sell below production cost, adding that the situation could push mills out of business and affect food security.
“Smuggled rice and maize, which evade duties and quality checks, are flooding Ghanaian markets at artificially low prices. This not only jeopardises farmer incomes but also weakens the domestic value chain,” the Chamber had said in statement, calling for “guaranteed minimum prices to stabilise farmer incomes.
