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The Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG) has warned that the country could suffer from rice shortage this year through the effects of COVID-19.
Ghana imports roughly US$1 billion worth of rice annually to cover the monthly demand for 940,000 tonnes of rice.
But according to the association, the COVID-19 restrictions in countries from which Ghana imports rice from, coupled with last year’s ravaging of rice farms in Northern Ghana, poses a threat to national food security.
The head of programmes and advocacy at PFAG, Charles Nyaaba, wants the government urgently to support farmers to mitigate the impending consequences of a rice shortage.
Call for compensation
“It would be useful if the government could get us inputs like fertiliser or seeds to produce and pay back. They could also connect us to the banks for credit at reasonable interest rates.
“We are pleading with them to pay heed to our pleas. Usually, they don’t listen to our calls. They tell us the banks will support us. But when we go to the banks, they also will not listen to us. We need the government to direct the banks to ensure full compliance from them,” he said.
Nyaaba also bemoaned the neglect of farmers whose farms have been ravaged by bushfires, despite assurances by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture that it will support the victims.
“Most rice farms were burned,” said the PFAG head of advocacy. “I personally lost 55 acres of rice fields. We had several engagements with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and they agreed to compensate the farmers who lost our rice farms so that we will be able to farm this year.”
The economic impact of the novel coronavirus has disrupted economic activity as well as global supply chains.
Threat to Builsa South
Earlier this year, the Builsa South district director of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) in the Upper East Region, Sylvan Dauda Danaa, also said that the COVID-19 situation may affect local rice production.
He said there is a need for intensive education if production is to increase.
Alhough there are plans to increase rice production in the district beyond the volume produced last year, various concerns related to COVID-19 could cause many farmers, especially small-scale growers, to cut back production.
