In response to the severe drought spell affecting Northern Ghana, the government has imposed an immediate ban on the export of grains, including maize, rice, and soybeans.
This decision, announced by Minister of Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong during a press briefing in Accra on Monday, August 27, is aimed at ensuring sufficient crop availability for the domestic market.
Bryan Acheampong explained that the ban is necessary to address the challenges posed by the ongoing drought, which has severely impacted crop growth in the region. To mitigate the effects on farmers, he urged those with existing grain stocks to contact district directors, aggregators, and the crops directorate if they are interested in selling their produce.
“With immediate effect, the government is placing a ban on the export of grains including maize, rice, and soya bean until the situation normalizes. This measure is essential to ensure the availability of these critical crops on the domestic market.”
“Any farmer with stock and interested in selling should contact our district directors across the country, our district aggregators, or the directorate of crops, Ministry of Agriculture. This is to ensure that farmers do not suffer adversely as a result of this ban,” he stated.
Northern Ghana has experienced over two months without rain, raising serious concerns about food security and the livelihoods of thousands of farmers.
