Minority Chief Whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh has raised concerns about a worsening food distribution problem in Ghana.
He said large amounts of food are going to waste on farms while Senior High Schools (SHS) across the country continue to face shortages of basic food supplies.
In an open letter to President John Mahama on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, the Nsawam-Adoagyiri MP described the situation as a “serious governance and administrative failure” that could harm farmers, students, and the country’s food security.
“While the shortage of food is typically alarming, equally problematic is the glut of foodstuffs. Unfortunately, we are now witnessing both,” he stated.
According to Mr Annoh-Dompreh, many farmers who grow grains, roots, and tubers cannot find buyers for their produce.
At the same time, schools still struggle to receive enough food because the distribution system is failing.
“Farmers of grains, roots, and tubers are reporting little to no sales of their crops,” he said. He also explained that institutions like the National Buffer Stock Company lack enough funding to buy and store food products.
The MP stressed that the problem is now affecting students and schools nationwide.
He said many farmers feel discouraged because they cannot sell their harvest, and much of the produce is spoiling due to poor storage and limited market access.
“Our farmers did their part to deliver bumper harvest last year. But today, their produce rots because there are no markets,” he stated.
“A tomato farmer in the Ketu South cannot sell his harvest even at rock-bottom prices, while households in Accra buy expensive imported tomato paste.”
Mr Annoh-Dompreh also questioned why locally produced food remains costly even when harvests are abundant.
“Maize farmers cannot find buyers, yet a bag of local rice is more expensive than imported parboiled rice from Vietnam or Thailand. This paradox is crushing the backbone of our nation,” he stressed.
“Farmers who cannot sell their harvest cannot afford seeds, fertiliser, or labour for the next planting season. Many are abandoning their farms altogether, threatening a future famine,” he cautioned.
“Some are even selling their farmland to real estate developers out of desperation.”
The Minority Chief Whip blamed the crisis on weak agricultural marketing systems, poor road networks, and the lack of proper storage facilities such as silos and cold chains.
