Government Director of the Peasant Farmers Affiliation of Ghana (PFAG), Bismark Tetteh, says the federal government’s determination to ban the export of grains is untimely.
In keeping with him, the federal government didn’t seek the advice of with stakeholders earlier than implementing the ban, which might have helped keep away from antagonistic results on farmers.
The ban, which impacts key grains equivalent to maize, rice, and soybeans, was introduced in response to the extreme drought affecting agricultural manufacturing in eight areas of Ghana.
The Minister for Meals and Agriculture Bryan Acheampong acknowledged that the measure is meant to make sure nationwide meals safety.
Nevertheless, talking in an interview, Mr Tetteh mentioned, “This isn’t the primary time the federal government has tried to announce a ban on cereals, particularly maize and soybeans. You’ll discover that each time such bans are introduced, the impact is that farmers undergo from low costs. It is because the ban limits the variety of patrons out there to buy farmers’ produce, forcing them to promote at decrease costs that don’t cowl their manufacturing prices.”
Mr Tetteh acknowledged that PFAG had anticipated the ban can be accompanied by complementary measures to forestall shortages for farmers. He added that whereas farmers had been suggested to contact agricultural or district agricultural administrators, the costs at which these administrators would purchase the produce haven’t been specified.
“What’s the assure that when the farmers go, the costs that they might be provided are costs that make sense to the farmer? The perfect factor to have accomplished was to at the least set a minimal value that the federal government is able to purchase at, whether or not at value A or value B. If the farmer realizes that the value is aggressive, I can let you know that there isn’t a motivation for any farmer to go and promote outdoors when she or he is aware of they will promote inside and make their a refund.”