Lift the ban on grain export – Dr Boako to government

The Member of Parliament for Tano North, Dr Gideon Boako, has called on the government to lift Ghana’s ban on grain exports, arguing that the restriction is unnecessary amid a surplus of food on the market.

Addressing the press at the forecourt of Parliament, Dr Boako questioned why farmers should be prevented from exporting their produce when local demand appears weak.

He explained that foodstuffs remain unsold despite being readily available and stressed that farmers should be allowed to export their produce to earn income.

According to him, the proceeds from such sales would enable farmers to reinvest in the next farming season.

The Tano North MP argued that surplus food should either be processed locally or exported to foreign markets.

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“Here is the case that the thing is on the market, nobody is buying. Why don't you allow free export? You should allow the thing to be exported, so that the farmer will be better off. Because these farmers are going to use the proceeds that they will get from the sale of these foodstuffs to go into the next farming season,” Dr Boako said.

He added: “The ban should be lifted, if indeed it is well established that there's food glut on the market. There is no point putting a ban on export of food when there's food on the market and people are not buying. If indeed the price is lower, it means people can afford.”

The government imposed a ban on the export of key grains, including rice, maize, and soybeans, in August 2024.

The decision followed a prolonged dry spell that severely affected the northern regions of the country and was aimed at preventing a potential food shortage caused by drought-induced crop failures.

At the time, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Bryan Acheampong, explained that the northern regions, which account for about 62 percent of Ghana’s grain production, had experienced reduced yields due to insufficient rainfall, raising concerns about a possible shortfall in grain supply.

SA/MA

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