Chamber of Agribusiness Ghana Warns of Looming Crisis in Rice and Maize Sector; Calls for Urgent Government Action

Chamber of Agribusiness Ghana Warns of Looming Crisis in Rice and Maize Sector; Calls for Urgent Government Action

The Chamber of Agribusiness Ghana (CAG) has raised fresh concerns over what it describes as an imminent crisis in the country’s rice and maize subsectors, calling on the Government to act swiftly to protect local producers from rising imports and rampant smuggling of substandard grains.

According to the Chamber, more than 100,000 metric tonnes of paddy rice and maize from the 2024 harvest season remain unsold, with farmers forced to sell below production cost due to what it termed an “artificial glut” in the market. With the 2025 rice harvest season approaching, CAG warns that the situation could deteriorate further, threatening farmer livelihoods, processing industries, and Ghana’s food security.

“Ghanaian farmers are being pushed out of business by unfair competition. Smuggled rice and maize, evading duties and quality checks, are flooding our markets at artificially low prices. If the Government does not intervene swiftly, we risk collapsing entire subsectors,” the Chamber stated.

CAG outlined four major concerns: the undercutting of local produce by smuggled grains, collusion between smuggling syndicates and corrupt border officials, the shutdown or underutilisation of rice mills and maize processors, and Ghana’s growing reliance on foreign imports at the expense of food sovereignty.

To address the crisis, the Chamber is urging the Government to tighten border controls, sanction complicit officials, and mandate local sourcing quotas for state institutions such as the School Feeding Programme, the Armed Forces and the Prisons Service. It further recommends introducing minimum price guarantees, providing support for millers to absorb local grains at harvest, and investing in rural infrastructure, storage, and marketing for Ghanaian rice and maize.

CAG also called for the expansion of irrigation facilities and stronger farmer cooperatives to boost productivity and competitiveness.

“The time to act is now. Investing in local rice and maize is investing in Ghana’s economic independence, jobs, and food sovereignty,” the Chamber emphasised, urging an urgent high-level dialogue between Government, private sector stakeholders and farmer associations ahead of the upcoming harvest.