Minister for Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong, has announced that it is the expectation of the government to lift the ban on the export of grains including rice, maize, corn, and soy in November.
The government has imposed an immediate ban on the export of key grains, including rice, corn, and soy, due to an ongoing dry spell that is severely affecting the northern parts of Ghana.
The ban was placed on the imports of the grains to prevent a potential food shortage caused by drought-induced crop failures.
The Minister of Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong, announced the decision during a press briefing in Accra on Monday, August 27, 2024.
The minister, in a media briefing, stated that the government does not want the situation to move beyond six months.
“We are monitoring the situation, and we are hoping that the situation will not travel for more than six months.”
He explained that the country would have to be fully stabilised, including having some stock in our reserves, to be able to respond to any such situation or have to fall 100% on imports.
Mr. Bryan Acheampong stressed that the government is monitoring the situation and was hopeful that by November, the situation would have been resolved and the ban lifted.
As part of measures aimed at addressing the situation, the government has already put in measures aimed at raising $500 million, including approximately $155 million from the World Bank and other development partners.
The Minister of Finance, Mohammed Amin Adam, stated that these funds would be used to offer compensation to affected farmers, with payments of 1,000 cedis per hectare.
Farmers with stocks have also been advised to contact district directors, aggregators, and the Crops Directorate if they are interested in selling their produce to prevent suffering losses due to the export ban.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
