Agriculture minister optimistic about lifting grain export ban in November

Minister for Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong, has announced that the government expects to lift the ban on the export of grains, including rice, maize, corn, and soy, in November.

The government imposed an immediate ban on the export of key grains due to an ongoing dry spell severely affecting the northern parts of Ghana. The ban was enacted to prevent a potential food shortage caused by drought-induced crop failures.

Bryan Acheampong announced the decision during a press briefing in Accra on Monday, August 27, 2024. In the briefing, the minister stated that the government does not want the situation to extend beyond six months.

“We are monitoring the situation, and we are hoping that it will not last for more than six months,” he said. He explained that the country would need to be fully stabilized, including having some stock in reserves, to be able to respond to any such situation or to avoid relying entirely on imports.

Bryan Acheampong stressed that the government is monitoring the situation and is hopeful that by November, the situation will have been resolved and the ban lifted.

As part of measures aimed at addressing the situation, the government has already put in place measures to raise $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 avoid suffering losses due to the export ban.