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0 The Member of Parliament for Tano North, Dr. Gideon Boako, has called for the immediate suspension of grain exports to address the worsening food glut affecting farmers across the country.
The demand comes amid growing concern from farmers who say they are struggling to find a market for their produce.
The issue dominated proceedings on the floor of Parliament today, as the minority raised alarms about the mounting challenges posed by oversupply in some regions, even as other parts of the country continue to experience shortages.
Highlighting the gravity of the situation, the Member of Parliament for Damango, Samuel Abu Jinapor, cited the latest figures from the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS).
“The Ghana Statistical Service today has reported that food insecurity has risen from 35.3 percent in 2024 to 38.1 percent last year. The service has warned that 13 million Ghanaians risk hunger this year,” he said.
In light of these figures, he questioned the Minister of Food and Agriculture: “The Minister is telling us that we are self-sufficient when it comes to food security. In light of these alarming statistics, what assurances can the Minister give to this House to ensure that 13 million Ghanaians do not slip into hunger?”
Meanwhile, the Member of Parliament for Bimbilla and former Minister for Defence, Dominic Nitiwul, shared the challenges faced by rice farmers, emphasising that the issue is not overproduction.
“I have 2,000 bags of paddy rice, each weighing 100 kilograms, lying idle. Last year, a bag of rice sold for 1,000 Ghana cedis. Today, the same bag is selling at just 400 cedis. The problem is not overproduction,” he stated.
He added, “If you go to Chamba, Bindri, Teshiman, or Kpasa markets, you will see farmers selling yams, cassava, maize, and other produce, but people are not buying. They often have to carry their goods back home.”
In response, the Minister for Agriculture, Dr. Eric Opoku, acknowledged the concerns raised by MPs but emphasised the complexities in managing both surplus and urban food prices.
“Mr. Speaker, according to our technical team, we need not less than 600 million Ghana cedis. Not less than 600 million Ghana cedis to be able to mop up the excess of food that we have in our system now, especially paddy rice,” he said.
Dr. Opoku also pointed out the inconsistencies in the minority’s positions on food availability. “A colleague just got up here and said there is food everywhere; they are not getting market. Another person will get up here and say, “I haven’t seen that; there is no food; there is food insecurity. “Why can’t you adopt a common position?”
He explained the disparity between rural and urban food prices. “We appreciate the fact that food prices in the production enclave are low. But when it comes to the urban areas, when demand is very high, food prices are high. It is the imbalance that we are trying to resolve,” he said.
To address these challenges, Dr. Opoku outlined plans to improve market access for farmers. “We are creating what we call farmers’ market,” he said, adding that “when that is created, the farmers will be able to bring the foodstuffs to the market where the consumers will be available.”
On infrastructure support, he emphasised the role of improved logistics: “That is why in the budget, you saw that allocation has been made for the construction of 1,000 kilometers under what we call the Agricultural Roads, because if we are able to fix roads linking the production centres to the consumption centres, transportation will be very easy.”
“Once we are able to overcome that, food prices will be stable for all of us,” he said optimistically.
However, Dr. Boako disagreed with the minister’s approach, insisting that lifting the export ban is the only way to protect farmers’ livelihoods.
He argued, “We are all hungry; we’ve been able to buy; we have ate, we are fed; we are sent to the fullest. Can you eat more than what your body can consume? The rest will have to find its way outside the country or into the factories, okay, for processing. If we don’t have much to consume, then when we are banning exports, it makes sense.”
On the current market situation, he added, “But here is the case that the thing is on the market; nobody is buying. Why don’t you allow free export? You should allow the thing to be exported so that the farmer will be better off. Because these farmers are going to use the proceeds that they will get from the sale of these foodstuffs to go into the next farming season.”
“It should be lifted if indeed it is well established that there’s food glut on the market. There is no point putting a ban on the export of food when there’s food on the market and people are not buying, If indeed the price is lower, it means people can afford it,” he continued.
On alternative uses for excess food, Dr. Boako explained, “Why are they not buying? Maybe they have consumed what their bodies can consume. The rest will have to find its way into the factories or outside the country. And that is why we want the minister to think around and think about.”
