Ghana bans export of maize, rice, and soya beans

The government through the Ministry of Food and Agriculture has placed a ban on the exportation of maize, rice and soya beans to sustain the Ghanaian market.

The ban was announced by the Minister in charge of Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong during a press briefing in Accra on Monday, August 26.

In his address, he explained that the ban on the export of grains has become necessary due to a shortfall in the local production of the grains as a result of dry spells in selected regions known for maize, rice, and soya beans cultivation.

“With immediate effect, government is placing a ban on the export of grains including maize, rice, and soya bean until the situation normalises. This measure is essential to ensure the availability of these critical crops on the domestic market,” Bryan Acheampong said at the press briefing.

He continued, “Any farmer with stock and interested in selling should contact our district directorates across the country, our district aggregators, or the directorate of crops at the Ministry of Agriculture. This is to ensure that farmers do not suffer adversely from this ban.”

The regions affected by the dry spells he added include the Oti Region, Upper West Region, Bono East Region, and the Northern Region, among others.

According to Agric Minister Bryan Acheampong, the affected regions combined contribute to over 62% of the country’s grain supply.

As part of measures to ensure the shortfall in production this year does not lead to food insecurity, the Minister announced that government will tap into the ECOWAS grain reserve and partner with the private sector to bridge the gap.

He said government will bring in 300,000 metric tonnes of maize, and 150,000 metric tonnes of rice to provide food support to vulnerable farmers who have lost their crops and also for the market.