The Ministry of Food and Agriculture is set to investigate reports that some maize farmers who are direct beneficiaries of the Government’s flagship Planting for Food and Jobs policy are refusing to sell their produce to local feed millers.
The Ministry says it has received disturbing reports that the beneficiaries instead of making their products available to the local poultry feed millers to complement the efforts of the government under the Rearing for Food and Jobs initiative, some of the local farmers, especially in the northern regions are rather selling the produce to foreign counterparts from Burkina Faso, Togo and as far as Nigeria who reportedly offering relative high prices.
According to the Ministry, though the development could be seen as a positive impact of the PFJ programme as the country has begun to reassert its position as the food basket of the West African sub-region, reports that farmers “are denying local producers the opportunity to benefit from the PFJ windfall is a disturbing news”
Information indicates that the development is gradually pushing local feed producers out of the market due to competition from their foreign buyers who are said to have invaded the country as a result of fear of food shortage due to the COVID-19 pandemic in their respective countries.
In a statement issued by the Ministry, it said “MoFA has taken notice of complaints by some major producers in the poultry industry that farmers under the PFJ initiative are refusing to supply their produce to them; a situation which could adversely affect Government’s resolve to improve the local poultry industry and effectively reduce the importation of poultry products into the country”
“Whilst we appreciate the fact that individual farmers reserve the right to sell their produce anytime and to anyone they so desire, it will be in bad faith, to say the least, to witness a situation whereby our own local industry players will be denied the opportunity to benefit from government support in the form of huge subsidies and technical support being enjoyed by farmers under the programme,” it indicates.
Price Stability.
According to the Association of Poultry Feed Processors, prices of maize over the last three years have remained very stable due to the government’s intervention.
For instance, over the past three years, the producers say they have been purchasing 50kg of maize, including transportation, at the cost of between 58Gh-60GH which is good for their business.
However, over the last three weeks, this has shot up to 65GH, largely due to the influence of the foreign buyers.
If this trend continues, not only will it crowd them out of business, it will also pose serious food security threats to the country, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Effect on Government’s Rearing for Food and Jobs Programme.
The unfortunate situation is also likely to affect the Government’s flagship Rearing for Food and Jobs programme as many poultry farmers who are beneficiaries will face the challenge of getting raw materials (maize and soybean) to feed their birds.
The effect is that they will be left with no choice but to resort to importation which under the current circumstances due to COVID-19, might not be possible.
Consequently, this will push many of them out of the market, resulting in huge labour losses and shortage of the produce.
MoFA to a crackdown.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture has served notice of its intention to crackdown on this unfortunate situation and ensure that the interests of the local poultry industry are protected.
The Ministry said it would collaborate with the security agencies, as well as other stakeholders along the value chain, to address the situation.
It is noted in the statement “MoFA is deeply concerned about this situation and wants to assure all industry players that the Ministry will liaise with the security agencies including the military, police and the Immigration services to address the matter”
