PFAG calls for transparent interventions amid worsening grain glut

By Sandra Agyeiwaa Otoo

The Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG) has urged government to take urgent and transparent action to address the worsening grain glut, which it says is crippling farmers nationwide and threatening food security.

According to the Association’s National President, Wepia Addo Awal Adugwala, more than 200,000 metric tonnes of unsold paddy rice and maize from the last farming season remain in storage while many farms are yet to be harvested.

“Over 200,000 metric tonnes of unsold paddy rice and maize remain from the last farming season and many rice farms are still unharvested. Farmers now face threats from bird invasions, bushfires and limited harvesting capacity, which will jeopardise all their investments if nothing drastic is done,” he said.

He warned that these risks could further reduce yields and discourage farmers from participating in the next planting season.

“This situation has the potential to derail government’s Feed Ghana programme, as it will demotivate several farmers, including the youth, from engaging in productive farming during the next planting season,” he stressed.

Mr. Adugwala noted that the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) earlier announced the release of GH¢100million to purchase excess produce and set minimum guaranteed prices for maize, rice and gari. Although the prices were below expectation, thIS intervention was initially welcomed because it offered better rates than those offered by middlemen.

However, farmers say they have not witnessed any purchases by accredited buying companies and no data have been published to show which districts, if any, have benefitted. This, they argue, raises concerns about transparency and accountability.

In response to continued pressure from stakeholders, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) has reportedly allocated an additional GH¢100million to ease the glut – a move PFAG acknowledges but insists must be managed with greater efficiency and openness.

To restore farmer confidence, PFAG is demanding the immediate publication of all companies engaged under the initial GH¢100million, locations and quantities of grains procured, as well as clear timelines for the next phase of purchases. It is also calling for a comprehensive list of approved licenced buying companies, millers and aggregators for direct farmer engagement.

The Association reiterated its call for legislation requiring state institutions – including schools, hospitals and security agencies – to procure only locally produced rice and maize. It further urged stricter border controls to curb smuggling and the importation of substandard rice, alongside public campaigns to promote local rice consumption.

Mr. Adugwala noted that an immediate implementation of these measures is essential to alleviate farmer distress and safeguard national food security. Failure to act, he warned, risks declining rice production and undermines Ghana’s goal of achieving rice self-sufficiency.

The Association also called for a long-term national strategy to address marketing challenges across cereals, legumes and vegetables to prevent similar crises in the future.

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