President John Dramani Mahama has reaffirmed his commitment to addressing the persistent surplus of food crops, specifically maize and rice, across Ghana.
The proposed measures aim to stabilise market prices while safeguarding the livelihoods of local farmers.
During his two-day “Resetting Ghana” tour of the Northern Region last Saturday, the President revealed that the government has allocated GH¢200 million to the National Buffer Stock Company.
These funds are intended to facilitate the purchase of excess produce for distribution to public institutions, such as secondary schools, hospitals, and prisons.
This tour served as an opportunity for the President to thank the region for its support during the 2024 general election, as well as to commission new projects and inspect ongoing works.
According to President Mahama, this strategic intervention will absorb market surpluses, mitigate post-harvest losses, and provide farmers with the security of guaranteed buyers.
To address recurring gluts more sustainably, he further announced plans to bolster local processing capacity.
A new rice mill is currently under construction on the Yendi Road in Tamale, and a second facility is planned for the Fumbisi Valley.
These mills will process local rice for the National Buffer Stock Company and the School Feeding Programme. Additionally, the President noted that plans are well advanced to establish five maize processing factories nationwide to handle excess yields for both domestic consumption and export.
The President expressed optimism that these initiatives would create fresh economic opportunities for agribusinesses.
While he noted that a previous allocation of GH¢100 million had already assisted the Buffer Stock Company in purchasing excess maize, he acknowledged the challenge of full warehouses as a new planting season approaches, which necessitates these expanded storage and processing efforts.
In a related development, President Mahama cut the sod for the construction of “24-hour economy” model markets in Bimbilla and Kukuo.
Once completed, these hubs will feature storage warehouses, security posts, healthcare services, and food courts designed to support continuous commercial activity.
He emphasised that “the markets will strengthen the agricultural value chain by providing farmers with reliable market access, reducing post-harvest losses and improving incomes”.
He further explained the vision behind the initiative, stating: “Everywhere we have our traditional markets, traders gather once or twice a week, but we intend to build markets that operate around the clock to stimulate economic activity. The plan is to establish similar markets in all the 261 districts across the country to promote continuous commercial activities.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
