Ghanaian farmers are still struggling to sell surplus grains despite government assurances that funds have been released to absorb excess supply, the AGRA Food Security Monitor Report has said.
The leadership of the Rice Producers Association and the Apex Farmers Association disclosed in November last year that more than 1.3 million metric tonnes of paddy rice and other grains are stuck in warehouses across the country due to the lack of buyers.
Rice, maize, and soya bean farmers demonstrated in Tamale, warning that the sector is on the brink of collapse, with more than 1 million metric tons of paddy rice, valued at about GH₵5 billion, lying unsold in warehouses and farms nationwide.
Several months on, the 2026 February AGRA Food Security Monitor Report says, “farmers are still struggling to sell surplus grains, which is likely to cause a drop in production next season.”
“Farmers are likely to reduce production during the next growing season, increasing the risk of food insecurity,” the report cautioned.
Minister for Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, assured during the presentation of the 2026 Budget Statement and Economic Policy to Parliament on November 13, 2025, that extra funding will be provided to the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) to buy more surplus food and supply it to public institutions, including schools, hospitals, and prisons.
He said a GH¢200 million allocation had been made to the NAFCO food purchase and storage programme, in addition to an earlier GH¢100 million allocation.
But the AGRA Food Security Monitor Report says “NAFCO’s GH¢200 million ($18.8 million) procurement budget to address the surplus has been approved by parliament but not released by the Ministry of Finance.”
“The budget’s effective purchasing power is further eroded by storage rehabilitation, transport, and interest costs owed to private financing companies.”
The report says several factors are contributing to the situation.
“Firstly, the government has kept the grain export ban in place, despite political pressure to lift the ban… The grain export ban remains in place as the government prioritises inflation gains. Parliamentary calls to lift the ban have not shifted the government’s position,” the report noted.
Also, the report says “the World Food Programme (WFP) is unwilling to purchase Ghanian maize due to its high cost compared to other markets.”
Additionally, “all functional NAFCO warehouses and private aggregator facilities are now full, leaving no fallback storage option for surplus grain yet to be purchased by the government.”
“Prolonged storage is degrading rice quality, increasing breakage during milling and reducing its marketability and value,” the report disclosed.
The monthly Food Security Monitor tracks food security across 17 countries in Eastern, Southern, and Western Africa.
AGRA says the report is a critical tool which equips policymakers, practitioners, and the wider food systems community with vital insights to navigate challenges, prioritise interventions, and ultimately build a more food-secure future for all.
The report is produced with support from the UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) through the Africa Food Trade & Resilience Programme.
