President John Dramani Mahama has directed the Minister of Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, to release an additional GH₵200 million to purchase surplus maize from farmers affected by the ongoing crop glut.
This move is part of the government’s broader strategy to reduce food wastage, boost national food security, and ensure surplus produce is preserved for future use.
Speaking at the launch of the Nkoko Nkitinkiti Poultry Initiative in Kumasi, President Mahama explained that the previous GH₵100 million allocation to address the maize glut was insufficient, necessitating further intervention.
The new allocation will enable the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) to purchase excess maize, rice, and eggs from local farmers, preventing post-harvest losses and supporting agricultural markets.
He explained that the new allocation is part of government’s broader strategy to reduce food wastage, boost national food security, and ensure that surplus produce is preserved for use during period of shortage.
“I have directed the Minister of Finance to release an extra GHCC200 Million to buy and stock the excess maize so it can serve the country in the future “, he stated.
The government has also announced measures to support local farmers affected by the rice and egg glut. NAFCO has been instructed to purchase local rice, while the Ghana School Feeding Programme will incorporate eggs into students’ meals.
President Mahama emphasized his administration’s commitment to supporting farmers, stabilizing agricultural markets, and safeguarding the country’s food supply chain.
“I have also instructed Buffer Stock to purchase rice from our local farmers to prevent losses. For eggs, I have asked the managers of the school feeding programme to include eggs in student meals”, he added.
He reiterated his administration’s commitment to supporting farmers ,stabilising agricultural markets, and safeguarding the country’s food supply chain, emphasizing that “no Ghanaian farmer should suffer losses because they produced in abundance”.
The crop glut has caused significant post-harvest losses and economic hardship across the agricultural sector. Ghana’s agricultural sector has seen a bumper harvest, with rice production increasing by 18% to 900,000 metric tonnes in the 2025/26 period. However, consumption has surged to 1.8 million metric tonnes, leaving a self-sufficiency ratio of around 50% .
Source:Fiilafmonline/3News
