By Frederica Mensah
The Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Trade, Industry and Tourism, Alexander Gabby Hottordze, has indicated that the malicious exportation of the country’s raw rubber is currently having a devastating impact on Ghana.
According to him, the Ghana Rubber Estate Limited (GREL), which is the major producer of rubber, is operating below its production capacity as a result of the exportation of raw rubber, which is causing more harm than good. He attributed this to aggregators who purchase raw materials from farmers at farm gates and resell them at a higher cost, causing revenue loss to the country and GREL. He stated that their actions are creating job loss, which is fueling the galamsey menace, adding that they will be dealt with accordingly when caught.
Mr. Hottordze said this when the committee toured the Apimanim and Abura Tsibu factories of GREL in the Ahanta West District of the Western Region to gather first-hand information about their operations. He noted that it is the Government’s vision for the country to feed its own industries and add value to its products before exporting. He said the restriction on the exportation of raw rubber, which will be implemented next year, will boost local processing, create jobs, and add value by stopping foreign exchange leakage and supporting industrialisation like the 24-Hour Economy.
Mr. Hottordze promised that the committee will collaborate with sister ministries to fight for the progress of the industry by putting certain interventions in place which will inure to the benefit of the company.
The Secretary of the Association of Natural Rubber Actors of Ghana (ANRAG), Perry Acheampong, said the production of raw rubber in Ghana currently stands at one hundred and ten thousand tons on average of dry rubber per annum, and installed capacity is almost 178,000 tons of dry rubber per annum. He stressed that this has resulted in a deficit in raw material availability to factories. He therefore called for the availability of raw materials to factories, saying they have what it takes to process everything.
He mentioned that from January to September 2025, the factories were able to utilize only about 28% of their factory capacity, attributing it to the exportation of about 45% of raw materials. Mr. Acheampong called for a stop to the exportation of raw rubber, as the workforce in the processing factories has reduced by almost 25%, which is a source of worry. He added that the export of raw rubber is collapsing the industry.
