The Upper East Farmers’ Cooperative Credit Union has called on the Ghanaian government to restrict the importation of food commodities, particularly rice, to safeguard local agricultural investments.
Speaking during an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Bolgatanga, Chief Executive Officer Dr. Charles Nyaaba reported that an ongoing influx of imported grain is distorting local market dynamics and leaving domestic farmers unable to sell their harvests.
The cooperative identified unapproved cross-border smuggling routes as the primary entry point for cheap, foreign agricultural goods that saturate regional markets.
Dr Nyaaba noted that despite state intervention through the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) to purchase grains from local producers, current off-take volumes represent less than 10 per cent of available domestic stocks.
This low level of procurement has left significant quantities of rice and maize stranded inside agricultural storage facilities across the Bongo and Sandema districts, forcing some farmers to dry their unsold stock outside warehouses.
The lack of reliable off-take agreements is discouraging farmers from expanding cultivation operations or utilising improved input distribution lines.
The cooperative recommended that the government regulate national food imports based strictly on measurable production deficits.
Under the proposed model, the state would only issue import licenses to fill domestic supply gaps rather than allowing unrestricted market access, a protective measure that mirrors agricultural policies implemented in neighbouring Burkina Faso.
Additionally, the union urged the government to strengthen border checkpoints to halt the entry of sub-standard or expired commodities.
Dr Nyaaba stated that securing the border would automatically create a predictable domestic market, raising local farm-gate prices and encouraging production.
The cooperative also called on authorities to fulfil statutory directives by sourcing ingredients for the national School Feeding Programme directly from domestic farming blocks to minimise post-harvest losses and protect rural household incomes.
Source: Access Agric
