Upper East Region: Farmers urge fairness in pricing after ban on grain exports

Farmers in the Upper East Region are criticising the government’s recent ban on the export of key grains, including maize, rice, and soybeans.

They argue that the ban is misguided and not in their best interest. Robert Kwame Abokah, a commercial rice farmer and chairman of the Tono Water Users Association, told Asaase News that the combination of rising production costs, the export ban, and the government’s plan to purchase grains through district and municipal food departments is significantly reducing farmers’ profitability.

“If they are saying those coming from outside the country should not come and buy, then I don’t even understand,” Abokah said.

He recounted that about three years ago, during a rice glut, Nigerian rice traders intervened and bought paddy rice at a higher price. Based on that previous experience, Abokah expressed concern that relying on government purchases might be problematic.

“Three years ago, we even went to the media to complain about our bumper harvest and the post-harvest losses we were experiencing. We spoke about it, and the National Buffer Stock came around and promised to bring aggregators to collect the rice, but they did not come. People from Nigeria came in and bought our paddy rice. Eventually, they were told not to come again. So, we produce, but finding buyers is a problem,” he said.

According to Abokah, the ban might not be as effective as intended because “a farmer might use a bush road to sell to another country. If the government does not provide buyers, what will the farmer do?”

He is also concerned about the possibility of receiving low prices from the government.

The government announced an immediate ban on the export of these key grains in response to the ongoing dry spell that has devastated agricultural production in eight regions, including the Upper East Region.

According to the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong, this measure is intended to ensure food security within the country. Acheampong made this announcement during a press briefing on 26 August.

Agriculture Consultant and founder of Open Millar University, Professor David Millar, has questioned why the government implemented this ban when other measures were already in place.

“There are measures the government has put in place, such as internal and external reserves. If these actions are available, I do not understand why they resorted to banning grain exports. That’s the problem with government policies—they quickly implement measures they cannot regulate effectively. The Minister needs to clarify how they plan to enforce this ban,” Millar said.

As of the time of this report, the Upper East Regional Director for the Department of Food and Agriculture, Zakaria Fuseini, the Upper East Regional Minister, Hafiz Bin Salih, and other relevant stakeholders were in a meeting to discuss implementation strategies.

Reporting by Mark Smith in the Upper East Region

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