A coalition of leading agricultural groups in Ghana has announced a nationwide boycott of the 2025 Farmers’ Day festivities, citing worsening conditions in the food production sector and ongoing government neglect.
Called “a united stand for survival” by farmer leaders, the boycott brings together rice and maize producers, millers, input dealers, mechanisation service providers, and various agribusiness associations nation This is the first time in Ghana’s history that such a broad alliance of farmers has chosen to boycott the national event.
In a joint statement, the coalition expressed frustration over the government’s failure to fulfil promises to purchase locally grown rice and maize through the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO). Despite a commitment from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture on September 23, 2025, to buy all locally produced grains, farmers say no purchases have taken place, leaving thousands of tonnes unsold.
The coalition also accused the government of allowing local markets to be flooded with cheap, expired, and smuggled imported rice, often repackaged by politically connected groups. These imports evade taxes and undercut Ghanaian farmers, driving many into financial hardship.
Recent data highlights the crisis: over 200,000 metric tonnes of paddy rice from the 2024 harvest remain unsold in warehouses across the Upper East, Northern, and North East Regions National Rice Development Programme projections estimate the 2025 rice harvest could reach 1.5 million metric tonnes, up from 1.3 million in 2024, but storage is already full.
Regional unsold stock includes 300,000 metric tonnes in Upper East, 400,000 in North East, 300,000 in Northern Region, 50,000 in Savannah, 20,000 in Upper West, and 100,000 in Volta Region, mostly locked in warehouses with no buyers.
The coalition demands the government stabilize agriculture by temporarily suspending all rice imports for six months starting November 2025, strengthening border enforcement, and developing a long-term import strategy aligned with local production. They also urge public institutions such as schools, hospitals, prisons, and security agencies to buy only Ghana-grown rice and maize.
Furthermore, they call on the Ministry of Finance to release funds to NAFCO for purchasing surplus grain and propose a guaranteed minimum price for rice and maize to protect farmers from market manipulation.
The coalition emphasized that the boycott is not an attack on the spirit of Farmers’ Day but a demand for fair policies and real support.
“This is not about rejecting recognition. It is about demanding respect through fair policies. We can not celebrate while our livelihoods collapse,” the statement said.
Supporting organisations include the Association of Rice Producers and Millers, Chamber of Agribusiness, Association of Soya Value Chain Actors, Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG), Ghana National Association of Farmers and Fishermen (GNAFF), General Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU), CropLife Ghana, Ghana Rice Inter-Professional Body (GRIB), National Seed Trade Association of Ghana (NASTAG), Millers and Processors Associations, Traders and Market Women Associations, and the Association of Parboiled Rice Millers.
Story by: Mercy Addai Turkson #ahotoronline.com