The Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG) is urging the government to implement an immediate six-month ban on rice imports to help local farmers clear massive, unsold stockpiles of domestic rice. The association blames the current crisis on the National Food Buffer Stock Company’s (NAFCO) failure to purchase surplus crops, warning that 90% of local rice farmers face severe financial distress.
The Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG) has urgently requested the government to halt rice imports for a minimum of six months. The association argues that this temporary freeze is vital to allow local farmers to sell off massive stockpiles of homegrown rice, stabilise farm-gate prices, and restore trust in the domestic agricultural market.
Despite numerous state interventions designed to boost local production, a staggering 90% of local rice farmers are currently stranded with unsold inventory. PFAG attributes this crisis largely to the National Food Buffer Stock Company’s (NAFCO) failure to purchase the surplus rice—disregarding an earlier directive from President John Dramani Mahama.
In an official statement released on Thursday, June 4, PFAG warned that the ongoing market stagnation has plunged farmers into severe financial distress, posing an existential threat to Ghana’s domestic rice sector.
“PFAG calls on the government to immediately order a moratorium on rice imports for a minimum of six (6) months to allow for the clearance of existing Ghanaian-produced rice stocks,” the statement read.
Beyond the temporary import ban, the association is pushing for systemic reforms, calling on the government to initiate a transparent and swift review of NAFCO’s institutional capacity, operational mandates, financing models, and procurement workflows.
Furthermore, PFAG is advocating for strict legislative action to ensure local consumption. The group has urged the government to enact a legal framework that compels all state-owned enterprises, public schools, hospitals, prisons, the military, and various ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) to source only locally grown rice and other traditional staples.
To fortify the domestic market over the long term, PFAG also insists on the immediate roll-out of the rice import quota policy and a stronger focus on agricultural infrastructure. The association emphasises that building a resilient rice value chain requires strategic investments in post-harvest facilities, modern milling technologies, and stronger market linkage systems to help Ghanaian rice compete successfully with imported alternatives.
Without swift government intervention, PFAG cautions that the widespread financial ruin facing local rice farmers could derail Ghana’s broader efforts toward food security and agricultural self-sufficiency.
Source: citinewsroom.com
