President John Dramani Mahama has attributed Ghana’s current maize glut to a combination of large-scale imports approved during a previous crop failure and a subsequent bumper domestic harvest.
He said the government had since stopped issuing licences for maize imports to create space for Ghanaian farmers to supply the local market.
President Mahama explained the situation during a question-and-answer session at the University for Business and Integrated Development Studies (UBIDS) in the Upper West Region.
According to him, a severe dry spell three years ago resulted in significant crop failures after rains stopped for about ten weeks.
The situation led the previous government to issue licences for large-scale maize imports to address the anticipated shortage.
President Mahama said when his administration assumed office, significant quantities of imported maize were still being held in warehouses.
He said the government subsequently released the maize to poultry farmers and other users to prevent the stock from going to waste.
The following year, Ghana recorded what the President described as an excellent maize harvest, resulting in large quantities of both imported and locally produced maize on the market.
He said the combination created the glut currently affecting maize farmers.
President Mahama assured farmers that government had stopped issuing licences for maize imports and was taking steps to create a stronger domestic market for locally produced maize.
He disclosed that a maize processing factory was being established in the Sisala area to purchase maize from farmers, process it and produce goods for the domestic and export markets.
Government is also increasing funding for the National Buffer Stock Company to enable it to purchase excess maize from farmers.
The President said inadequate storage capacity remained one of the challenges facing Buffer Stock, prompting government to construct additional grain silos.
He explained that the silos would allow maize to be properly dried and stored safely for release during the lean season.
President Mahama also encouraged farmers in the area to increase maize production while urging communities to reduce charcoal burning in order to protect the environment and agricultural land.
Story by: Emmanuel Romeo Tetteh(#RomeoWrites✍️)/ Presidential Affairs Correspondent | Ghana 🇬🇭
