Ghana’s grain farmers sound alarm as over US$330M worth of paddy rice remains unsold
Farmers say that there are more than 1 million metric tons of paddy rice lying unsold in warehouses and on farms nationwide
GHANA – Grain farmers in Ghana have moved to the streets to protest what they describe as a crisis threatening to collapse the nation’s grain sector.
With more than 1 million metric tons of paddy rice valued at about GH₵5 billion (US$330 million) lying unsold in warehouses and on farms nationwide.
The farmers, drawn from the rice, maize, and soya bean value chains, say years of neglect and unchecked rice imports have crippled their livelihoods and destabilized local production.
At a major demonstration in Tamale on Monday, November 10, members of the Association of Ghana Rice Producers and Processors accused the government of abandoning domestic agriculture while allowing cheap and substandard imports to flood the market.
Reading a petition on behalf of the group, Abdul-Aziz Jawhara said the situation has become desperate, forcing many farmers to sell at giveaway prices or abandon their harvests entirely.
“We stand ready to feed our people, but we need a level playing field and policies that serve Ghanaian farmers first,” Ms. Jawhara said.
The association attributed the crisis to the National Food Buffer Stock Company’s (NAFCO) failure to honour its commitment to purchase excess rice and maize from farmers.
They said several millers have halted operations due to a lack of working capital, rising input costs, and limited access to affordable credit, worsening the grain glut across key producing regions.
The farmers are demanding a six-month moratorium on rice and maize imports, the creation of a transparent import quota system, and a crackdown on rice smuggling.
They are also calling for government institutions to procure Ghanaian rice for official use and for NAFCO to publish details of its procurement contracts and beneficiaries to ensure accountability.
In addition, the farmers are seeking minimum farmgate prices for rice, maize, and soya, low-interest loans for millers, and the lifting of the ban on soya bean exports to boost smallholder incomes.
“This is a desperate cry for help. We are not asking for handouts, we are asking for fair policies that protect Ghanaian farmers and secure the nation’s food system,” Ms. Jawhara added.
The protest comes at a time when Ghana continues to battle a widening trade imbalance in the rice sector, with import volumes steadily rising despite years of state-backed initiatives such as Planting for Food and Jobs aimed at promoting local production.
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