The government has announced an immediate ban on the export of grains due to the ongoing dry spell affecting the Northern regions of the country.

During a press briefing in Accra, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong, explained that the ban aims to ensure the availability of crops for the domestic market amid the challenging weather conditions.

To mitigate the impact on farmers, Mr Acheampong urged those with grain stocks to reach out to district directors, aggregators, and the crops directorate across the country if they are interested in selling.

This measure is intended to support farmers and prevent them from suffering losses due to the export ban.

“With immediate effect, the government is placing a ban on the export of grains including maize, rice, and soya bean until the situation normalizes. This measure is essential to ensure the availability of these critical crops on the domestic market.”

“Any farmer with stock and interested in selling should contact our district directors across the country, our district aggregators, or the directorate of crops, Ministry of Agriculture. This is to ensure that farmers do not suffer adversely as a result of this ban,” he stated.

Bryan Acheampong, disclosed that the drought has impacted over 980,000 farmers across approximately 1.8 million hectares, with potential losses estimated at GHC22.2 billion.

The affected regions contribute about 62% of the country’s annual grain supply, hence the government’s quick action to mitigate the adverse effects of the drought.

The initiative includes financial support of GHC1,000 per hectare for vulnerable farmers to partially cover their investment losses. Additionally, the government will provide food grants to help farmers meet their nutritional needs.