The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has handed over 500 tonnes of cereals to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA).
The donation, part of the Regional Food Security Reserve, comprises 4,327 bags of maize, 2,015 bags of sorghum, 200 bags of millet, and 3,458 bags of rice.
This vital aid is intended to support eight regions in Ghana grappling with severe dry spells that have disrupted crop production.
The regions set to benefit from this generous grant include Northern, Upper East, North East, Savannah, Upper West, Bono, Bono East, and Oti.
The distribution aims to alleviate the acute food shortages affecting these areas, with the Northern Region reported as the hardest hit.
The Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Bryan Acheampong, who received the cereals, has appealed for an additional 10,000 tonnes to further bolster the resilience of affected communities.
Dr. Acheampong also pledged the government’s commitment to addressing storage challenges.
He announced plans to construct a new 100,000-tonne capacity silo in each region annually to ensure adequate grain reserves during dry seasons.
Current storage facilities, including an 80,000-tonne capacity warehouse, are deemed insufficient for the growing needs.
ECOWAS representative Charles Ndiaye, while presenting the food aid, urged Ghana to build an additional warehouse in the north to enhance regional food security.
Ndiaye emphasized the importance of developing food security storage at local, national, and regional levels to strengthen risk management and food sovereignty.
He expressed gratitude to the financial and technical partners supporting the Regional Food Security Reserve since its inception in 2016.
