The Ghana Peasant Farmers Association has described the country’s ban on the exportation of certain grains as counterproductive.
The government announced the extension of the ban on maize, rice, soybeans, and other grains.
The prohibition, which went into effect in September 2021, was set to expire at the end of March. It will now be in effect until September 2022.
According to Charles Nyaaba, Head of Programmes and Advocacy at Peasant Farmers Association, who spoke to Citi News, the directive has had a negative impact on customers because the local market has been unable to absorb their produce.
“The ban expires in September, and we do not anticipate the government renewing it.” What the government can do as the host country of the AfCFTA secretariat in that area is to open it up so that we can trade with our neighbours and subsidise grains for the industry.”
“There are grains in some areas of the country, but no one is buying them from farmers because the roads are in poor condition.” The government should instead invest in the transportation sector. “If we do that, we’ll be fine,” he advised.
Food security in Ghana has been a hot topic for several months, with stakeholders warning of a food shortage if the issue is not resolved.
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While the government has consistently lauded the agricultural sector’s progress as a result of its interventions, issues such as a lack of access to poultry feed, fertiliser, and rising food prices, which are reflected in Ghana’s high food inflation, have concerned stakeholders in the sector.
To address these concerns, the government has restricted the export of two of the country’s most important commodities, soya bean and maize.
The Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Directorate have already stopped issuing phytosanitary certificates for both commodities’ export.
Ghana’s maize and soybean exports are restricted to Niger, Sierra Leone, the Republic of Congo, the United Kingdom, Qatar, the United States, Italy, and Canada under the directive.
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