While commending the government for the decision to ban the exportation of maize and soya beans, the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG), is wondering whether Ghana still has any exportable quantities of the said products.
Government restricted the exportation of two important commodities, soya bean, and maize from the country. According to the Food and Agric Ministry, this forms part of measures to ensure food security and increase local poultry and livestock production.
The Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Directorate (PPRSD), has stopped issuing phytosanitary certificates for the export of both commodities.
This follows a directive from the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MoTI) to restrict their export to ensure the availability of the product, whose production is subsidized.
Speaking on A1 Radio’s Day Break Upper East, the Upper East Regional Focal Person for PFAG, Rev John Akaribo explained that as it stands now, Ghana imports maize, soya beans and other grains from her neighbours and so it is surprising that government would decide to place a ban on exports.
“I am doubting; were we even exporting maize and soya beans? Were we not rather importing these things?” he quizzed.
He said complaints by poultry farmers across the country along with some processors gave the indication that these products were not readily available in the country.
“We did not have enough and we were even complaining about the looming food shortage that we would have. We were importing all these things [maize, soya beans] for our farmers,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Ghana National Association of Poultry Farmers (GNAPF) has welcomed the government’s decision to ban the exportation of maize and soybeans.
A1radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana
