It’s premature for the government to ban the export of grains – PFAG

Executive Director of the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG), Bismark Tetteh, says the government’s decision to ban the export of grains is premature.

According to him, the government did not consult with stakeholders before implementing the ban, which could have helped avoid adverse effects on farmers.

The ban, which affects key grains such as maize, rice, and soybeans, was announced in response to the severe drought affecting agricultural production in eight regions of Ghana.

The Minister for Food and Agriculture Bryan Acheampong stated that the measure is intended to ensure national food security.

However, speaking in an interview, Mr Tetteh said, “This is not the first time the government has attempted to announce a ban on cereals, especially maize and soybeans. You will notice that whenever such bans are announced, the effect is that farmers suffer from low prices. This is because the ban limits the number of buyers available to purchase farmers’ produce, forcing them to sell at lower prices that do not cover their production costs.”

Mr Tetteh stated that PFAG had anticipated the ban would be accompanied by complementary measures to prevent shortages for farmers. He added that while farmers were advised to contact agricultural or district agricultural directors, the prices at which these directors would buy the produce have not been specified.

“What is the guarantee that when the farmers go, the prices that they would be offered are prices that make sense to the farmer? The best thing to have done was to at least set a minimum price that the government is ready to buy at, whether at price A or price B. If the farmer realizes that the price is competitive, I can tell you that there is no motivation for any farmer to go and sell outside when he or she knows they can sell within and make their money back.”