It doesn't make sense for NADMO to import rice while there are surplus in Ghana — Murtala Mohammed fumes

The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) is facing criticism over its decision to import rice into Ghana at a time when domestic farmers say they have surpluses.

Tamale Central Member of Parliament Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed said in Parliament that it "doesn't make sense" for NADMO to be importing rice when he and other MPs have thousands of bags of unsold rice sitting on their farms.

"I am a farmer. I still have thousands of bags of my rice at the farm in Yagba. I don’t have a market for them. Honourable Akandoh has rice there, no market for them," said Mr Murtala.

"Honourable Adongo, including clerks of this House, [have rice there] yet the state is spending over $2 billion on the importation of rice and poultry products into this country,” stressed the lawmaker.

The MP revealed he had discussed the issue with the Minister of Food and Agriculture in the hope the government could buy surplus rice from local farmers.

However, he said, NADMO was still procuring imported rice instead.

"As we speak, NADMO is buying imported rice for the people of this country and it doesn’t make sense. It simply doesn’t make sense," Murtala fumes.