Yvonne Atilego & William Owusu Boateng
Government has extended a temporary ban on the exportation of grains including rice, maize and soya beans.
The ban is to last for an additional six months effective April 1, 2022, to September 30, 2022.
On account of this directive, consequential action is being taken to ensure strict enforcement at all Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs).
The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), in a letter to the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralization and Rural Development requested that the Local Government Ministry issues the required directives to MMDAs to take the necessary action with the involvement of the District Security Councils, to disseminate information and intensify the monitoring of trucks carting grains from market centers to neighbouring countries.
GAWU on Ban
The General Agricultural Workers’ Union (GAWU), has expressed indifference to the ban on export of grains. General Secretary of the Union, Edward Kareweh, said the shortage of grains like maize, rice, and Soybean which has culminated in price hikes has nothing to do with the export of the produce, but rather the low output by Farmers in the 2021 Farming Season.
Speaking to GBC News on the extension of the moratorium on exportation of grains by the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Kareweh asked ”government to come clear on the objectives and impact of the move for a better appreciation by stakeholders”.
He enumerated some challenges bedeviling grain production in the country, and called for a collective approach to resolving the issues.