With rice oversupply from the 2025 farming season to 2026, the Nationwide Meals Buffer Inventory Firm (NAFCO) says a minimum of GH¢770 million is required to soak up the excess.
Talking in an interview with Accra-based Citi FM on Tuesday, Could 5, 2026, NAFCO’s Senior Company Supervisor, Emmanuel Arthur, stated the federal government’s introduced buy of GH¢100 million in 2025 remains to be underway.
Emmanuel Arthur, NAFCO’s Senior Company Supervisor, disclosed this in a radio interview on Metropolis FM on Could 5, 2026.
He stated NAFCO remains to be buying grain with the 2025 Fund and has not exhausted its allocation.
“The shopping for continues,” he stated. “We’ve somewhat bit left over, however we’re nonetheless shopping for. There are individuals on the bottom shopping for as we converse.”
Arthur was sluggish to offer an in depth breakdown of present spending and purchases.
Concerning the funding hole, he stated the quantity wanted to eradicate the oversupply far exceeds present allocations. “If we had instructed the federal government that we would want greater than GH¢770 million to landfill the excess, that may have been what the farmers wished,” he stated.
“The federal government gave us GH¢100 million to start out as a result of they stated situations might be matched.”
He additionally stated that the extra GH¢200 million introduced within the 2026 Finances by the Minister of Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson in November 2025, has not but been introduced. “We’re ready for it. GH¢200 million is but to return,” he stated.
The dialogue adopted a report within the Enterprise and Monetary Occasions revealed on Could 4, 2026, by which Dr. Terence Ada Barinya, an govt member of the Ghana Rice Producers and Processors Affiliation, alleged that NAFCO ignored the presidential directive to prioritize domestically produced rice.
He claimed that cheaper smuggled rice was being procured as a substitute, forcing some millers to close down and plenty of farmers struggling losses.
Arthur rejected this declare, saying all of the grain bought by NAFCO was sourced from native farmers. “Every part we purchase comes from farmers in Ghana,” he stated.
He defined that the corporate works by means of licensed buying corporations, which procure grain on its behalf and ship it to warehouses.
He named services in Buipe, Bono and elements of the Ashanti area, Jute within the Volta area, and Tamale as storage areas and invited journalists to take stock.
“We will likely be pleased to take your crew to those areas so you may see the quantity of grain that we now have bought for GH¢100 million,” he stated.
Throughout this system, Ivan Sakitei, former govt director of the Ghana Rice Skilled Affiliation, stated Akuse nonetheless had hundreds of luggage of rice harvested in December 2025 left unsold.
He referred to a gathering held with the Higher Accra Regional Minister on April 15, 2026, however stated no progress was made.
“Regardless of all these discussions and the agreed value, not a single bag has been offered but,” Sakitei stated.
Mr Arthur acknowledged the issues and stated such complaints shouldn’t be ignored. He attributed this case to restricted funds.
“There’s not sufficient cash,” he stated. “Resulting from lack of funding, it’s tough for individuals to appreciate the affect of our work. If we had the funding now, grain farmers would mobilize every part they’ve.”
Program organizer Bernard Havre known as on NAFCO to publish a listing of farmers and mills that sourced grain by means of licensed consumers.
“So long as you may’t give us that data and the accredited organizations say nobody is shopping for their rice, it is laborious to clear the blame,” he says.
Arthur stated the corporate would contemplate the proposal. “It is not tough and we’ll look into it,” he stated.
He added that the World Meals Program is supporting NAFCO to rehabilitate storage services earlier than making additional purchases.
“They’re serving to us get our services in good situation for additional procurement,” he stated.
Akuse within the Decrease Manya-Krobo District within the Jap Area and Astuare within the Shai-Osudoku District within the Higher Accra Area stay main rice producing areas. Each type a part of the Kupong Irrigation Scheme, which covers roughly 4,040 hectares and helps over 2,000 smallholder farmers.
President John Dramani Mahama on March 5, 2026 directed that rice procurement for faculties be centralized beneath NAFCO, prioritizing domestically produced rice for the college feeding program and free highschool meals.
Mr Arthur clarified that though each packages require the usage of domestically produced rice, the allocation of GH¢100 million is for the nationwide meals stockpile separate from the free SHS provide chain.
“The Nationwide Meals Reserve Program, on which we’re spending GH¢100 million, is totally different from the free SHS provide chain,” he stated. “However the directive to make use of domestically produced rice applies to each.”
NAFCO was established in 2010 beneath President John Evans Atta Mills with the aim of sustaining the nation’s meals reserves and offering markets for farmers. Mr Arthur stated the corporate had been struggling to construct up reserves for years till the latest oversupply prompted authorities motion.
“For a few years, we didn’t have ample nationwide meals reserves,” he stated. “The present state of affairs has directed us to intervene and buy surplus grains from farmers throughout the nation.”
