The government has announced an immediate ban on the export of key grains, including rice, corn, and soy.
This move is in response to a severe dry spell that is devastating crop production in the Northern regions of the country.
The Minister of Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong, made the announcement during a press briefing in Accra on Monday, August 27, highlighting the critical nature of the situation.
“With immediate effect, the government is placing a ban on the export of grains including maize, rice, and soya bean until the situation normalizes. This measure is essential to ensure the availability of these critical crops on the domestic market,” Acheampong stated.
The affected regions, which account for about 62% of Ghana’s grain production, have seen minimal rainfall over the past two months, raising fears of a significant food shortage.
In a related development, the government is mobilizing $500 million, including approximately $155 million from the World Bank and other development partners, to mitigate the impact of the grain shortage.
The Minister of Finance, Mohammed Amin Adam, indicated that these funds would be used to compensate farmers who have suffered losses due to the drought.
“Any farmer with stock and interested in selling should contact our district directors across the country, our district aggregators, or the directorate of crops, Ministry of Agriculture.
This is to ensure that farmers do not suffer adversely as a result of this ban,” Acheampong added.
The government plans to provide payments of 1,000 cedis per hectare to the affected farmers, aiming to prevent further economic hardship in the already strained agricultural sector.
