The price of Maize manufacturing has elevated from GH¢1,200 per acreage in 2020 to GH¢8,100 per acreage in 2024, threatening the manufacturing of maize and meals safety because the crop is a significant staple meals within the nation.
This accounts for over 500 % improve for the manufacturing of maize per acre.
Over 5 years, the price of maize manufacturing had risen sharply from GHc1,200 within the 2020/2021 season and nearly doubled to GHc 2,153 within the 2021/2022 season. It additional elevated to GH¢5,513 within the 2022/2023 season and GH¢6,277 within the 2023/2024 season.
This yr, the price has elevated from final yr’s determine of GHc6,277 to GH¢8,100, forcing plenty of farmers to desert the manufacturing of maize within the nation.
With a projected yield of 12 baggage per acreage and a promoting worth of GH¢250, it means farmers shall be making GH¢3,000 in return towards a manufacturing price of GH¢8,108.
The Govt Director of Agrisolve Ghana, Elorm Goh, who shared these statistics on the Graphic Enterprise/ Stanbic Financial institution Breakfast assembly stated, “so definitely there’s a disconnect which isn’t going to auger effectively for the nation.
Farmers are shedding out and, subsequently, chopping corners, who will make investments GH¢8,000 and get again GH¢3,000.”
“We have to get again to the drawing desk and begin pondering as a rustic,” she stated.
Ms Goh stated the elements contributing to the spike in manufacturing price had been the rising price of seeds, fertiliser and land preparation.“In 2021, seed per acreage was GH¢100, 50 kilos of NPK fertiliser was GH¢252 per acreage and ploughing was GH¢90gh per acre.
In the present day, the identical seeds that was once bought at GHc 100gh are actually promoting at GH¢1,100. Fertiliser per acreage is GH¢2,820 and land ploughing is now GH¢250.
“We’re producing lower than 5 per cent of the seeds we eat as a rustic internally with 95 per cent imported so as soon as the native forex depreciates, the costs can even go up.
It’s the identical with fertiliser as every thing we use is imported,” she defined.
Ms Goh stated the excessive manufacturing price, coupled with the unfavourable local weather situations threatens maize manufacturing and in extension the poultry business which relies upon primarily on maize as feed.
“Usually, preparation of land begins in Might and planting is completed in June however because it stands, the northern sector is but to begin as a result of the rains have failed,” she stated.
She stated the nation should be intentional about agriculture and cope with the sector as comprehensively as a substitute of the piecemeal method.“We’ve researchers in seed cultivation right here in Ghana however we nonetheless import extra seeds than domesticate.
If we wish agriculture to thrive, we should take a look at it from the seed degree proper as much as the highest,” she said.
Low productiveness
Additionally talking on the breakfast assembly, the Chief Govt Officer of the GIRSAL, Kwesi Korboe, stated meals inflation would proceed to be a problem as a result of the nation nonetheless imports plenty of its meals.
Utilizing the poultry business for example, he stated numerous actions straight affect the business.
“We don’t eat sufficient rooster in Ghana, we do about 13.7 kilos per particular person in comparison with 57.7 kilos per particular person within the USA however what’s important is the quantity of imports that make up our consumption of poultry and that may clarify why meals inflation is excessive in Ghana.”
Within the USA, imports of poultry make up simply 0.52% of their consumption they usually eat near 19.16 billion kilos of poultry.
If take Brazil, they import nearly 0.21% they usually eat near 10.84 billion kilos.
“In Ghana, we’re consuming the least however our imports represent 83.09% so when meals inflation goes up, we shouldn’t be shocked,” he stated.
Mr Korboe famous that maize was a significant meals for chickens so if the nation needs to be aggressive, then the costs of maize needs to be aggressive.
“Maize constitutes about 55% of the price of poultry feed so if you wish to be aggressive, your worth of maize needs to be aggressive and you’ll measure that by the productiveness of maize manufacturing within the nation,” he stated.