The government has released GH¢100 million to the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) to purchase surplus food crops from farmers and revamp the country’s long-dormant National Food Reserve Programme, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Osmond Amuah, has disclosed.
Speaking at a press briefing in Accra recently, Mr. Osmond Amuah said the intervention, approved by Cabinet through the Minister for Food and Agriculture, was in response to farmers’ growing concerns over post-harvest losses due to limited storage and low market prices.
“Farmers in the northern and coastal belts have been crying out because there’s no market space and limited storage. Government, through the Minister for Agriculture, approved an initial funding of GH¢100 million for NAFCO to begin the mop-up process,” he stated.
According to him, the initiative is part of government’s renewed commitment to stabilise farm produce prices, improve farmer livelihoods, and build a strategic national food reserve capable of mitigating food insecurity and famine in times of crisis.
Providing details on how the GH¢100 million allocation has been utilised, Mr. Osmond Amuah revealed that NAFCO had so far purchased 60,000 bags of rice, 120,000 bags of beans and 10,000 bags of gari across different regions of the country.
“We decided to apply the funds to where it matters most. It’s not just a rice conversation; it’s about maize, gari, and cassava as well. The idea is to create healthy food reserves that guarantee national food security,” he explained.
He emphasized that gari was included in the reserve because it is “ready-to-eat and easy to convert to food,” especially during emergencies such as the Volta Region floods, where displaced persons needed immediate relief items.
Mr. Amuwa hinted that the Minister for Agriculture was engaging Cabinet on the urgent release of an additional GH¢100 million, to allow NAFCO to mop up remaining surpluses still at risk of spoiling on farms.
“The GH¢100 million has made an impact, but it hasn’t solved the entire problem. Our farmers are still at risk of losing everything, and we need enough finance to go back to the market to mop up additional food before it is destroyed,” he said.
When secured, the second tranche will bring the total investment in the National Food Reserve Programme to GH¢200 million.
To prevent farmers from being exploited by aggregators, NAFCO’s Producer Price Determination Committee has approved new floor prices for key staples.
The committee, according to Mr. Osmond Amuah, after extensive deliberations, fixed paddy rice at GH¢5 per kilogram, maize at GH¢4.50 and gari at GH¢10 per kilogram.
“No aggregator working for NAFCO or the government will be allowed to buy paddy rice below GH¢5 per kilo. The same applies to maize and gari. These are floor prices meant to guarantee farmers a fair return for their efforts,” he emphasised.
However, he acknowledged that enforcing the prices remains a challenge, particularly in remote areas where farmers are less informed.
“Some aggregators go to the remotest parts and buy below the standard prices. That’s why we’ve set up a Community Engagement Team at NAFCO to serve as liaisons for feedback and report violations. Once we get wind that you’re buying below that price, we’ll take action,” he warned.
The NAFCO Deputy CEO explained that Ghana consumes about 6.8 million metric tonnes of staple foods annually, and the goal of the National Food Reserve is to set aside at least 10% of that amount – roughly 680,000 tonnes – to serve as a buffer in emergencies.
“The logic is simple: a hungry man doesn’t understand logic. We must be able to put away 10% of our annual consumption in case of famine or natural disasters. That is the foundation of the national food reserve,” he noted.
He added that government’s long-term objective is to ensure value for money through investments in storage facilities, financing mechanisms, staff capacity-building, and strong governance systems that enhance accountability.
Responding to a question on the influx of imported rice and how it undermines local producers, Mr. Osmond Amuah said government is considering policy reforms to ensure a level playing field for locally grown rice.
“These are laudable suggestions, but Ghana operates in a global market. The focus is to ensure that our farmers’ rice meets the standards of imported rice. What you call imported rice is often processed Ghanaian rice. The difference is in the value addition and packaging,” he explained.
He noted that government intends to support farmers and rice millers with the necessary incentives, equipment and technical expertise to add value to locally grown produce.
A Long-Term Agricultural Solution
Mr. Osmond Amuah concluded that while the current measures are not a cure-all for Ghana’s agricultural challenges, they mark a significant step toward reversing decades of neglect in post-harvest management and food security planning.
“These are 60-year-old problems. The situation of glut didn’t start overnight, but government is taking proactive and progressive measures to address it permanently,” he said.
He expressed optimism that continued investment in the food reserve programme would help stabilise market prices, strengthen food security and improve farmers’ livelihoods nationwide.
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