Mahama orders release of GH₵200m to buy surplus maize from struggling farmers

President John Dramani Mahama has instructed the Minister of Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, to disburse an additional GH₵200 million to purchase excess maize from farmers affected by the ongoing crop glut.

The directive follows widespread distress among farmers nationwide over unsold maize, rice, and eggs, which have led to heavy post-harvest losses and growing financial strain in the agricultural sector.

During the launch of the Nkoko Nkitinkiti Poultry Initiative on Wednesday, November 12, President Mahama revealed that an earlier government intervention of GH₵100 million had been insufficient to resolve the problem.

He said the fresh allocation forms part of a broader policy aimed at reducing waste, strengthening food reserves, and safeguarding the livelihoods of farmers.

“I have asked the Minister of Finance to release an extra GH₵200 million to purchase and store the surplus maize, so that it can serve the country during future shortages,” the President said.

He further directed the National Buffer Stock Company to buy locally produced rice and ordered the Ghana School Feeding Programme to include eggs in school meals to cushion farmers affected by the glut.

“I have instructed Buffer Stock to take up local rice from our farmers to prevent waste. For poultry farmers, I have asked the school feeding programme to add eggs to the daily menu for pupils,” he added.

President Mahama emphasised that the government’s immediate goal is to stabilise prices, protect rural livelihoods, and strengthen the nation’s food security systems. He said it was unacceptable for farmers to face ruin simply because they produced more than the market could absorb.

He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to creating sustainable storage and marketing channels that would ensure agricultural abundance becomes a national asset rather than a liability.

“No Ghanaian farmer should suffer losses for producing in abundance,” he stressed, underscoring his resolve to turn the current crisis into an opportunity for agricultural resilience.