Government Announces Grain Export Ban Will End In November

• Dr Bryan Acheampong, the Minister for Food and Agriculture, said the government's ban on grain exports will be lifted in November
• He said by November, the government would be able to ascertain the real impact of the drought on food security
• In the meantime, the government will be monitoring weather patterns and harvests in drought-hit areas

The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Dr Bryan Acheampong, has disclosed that the ban on grain exports is expected to end by November 2024.

The announcement comes a week after the government banned grain exports due to an unusually long dry spell in the country’s northern sector and fears of food insecurity.

At a media engagement, the minister told journalists that the government was confident the ongoing challenges would be resolved by November.

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He said the government is monitoring weather patterns and harvests in the affected regions to assess the drought's impact.

He said the impact of the drought would be clear by November when the northern and southern harvests are ready.

Dr Bryan Acheampong added that the outcome will inform the government’s next step in preventing food price inflation, among other things.

The minister’s announcement has relieved agricultural and trade stakeholders affected by the grain export ban.

Peasant farmers kick against export ban

Following the grain export ban announcement, the Peasant Farmers Association expressed displeasure with the government’s decision.

Reacting to the agricultural minister’s directive, Bismark Owusu Nortey, the association's president, said the measure was taken without consulting the peasant farmers most affected by the drought.

He said the peasant farmers are major stakeholders in the sector, and it would have been prudent if they were involved in finding a lasting solution to Ghana’s food insecurity crisis.

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Nortey explained that the ban on grain exports may have unintended consequences on peasant farmers, especially as the ban would force farmers to sell their produce cheaper than their production costs due to the narrowing of their market.

He said that if farmers were unable to sell their produce in other West African markets, demand for their produce would drop, putting their grains at risk of spoiling in their barns.

He said the government should have consulted local farmers before implementing measures to protect them from this undesired effect.

Security to be deployed to border towns

Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh reported that the defence minister, Dominic Nitiwul, said security personnel would be deployed to border towns to prevent grain smuggling to neighbouring countries.

This is in service of the government's plan to protect grain stock after announcing a ban on its export.

Joy News reported that Nitiwul called for citizens to support these security measures.

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Proofread by Edwina N.K Quarcoo, journalist and copy editor at YEN.com.gh.

Source: YEN.com.gh