A coalition of Ghana’s leading agricultural organisations has declared a nationwide boycott of the 2025 Farmers’ Day celebrations, accusing the government of neglect and mismanagement that have worsened the country’s food production crisis.
The coalition — comprising rice and maize producers, millers, input suppliers, mechanisation service providers, and agribusiness groups — described the move as “a united stand for survival.” It marks the first time in Ghana’s history that such a broad alliance of farmers has collectively boycotted the national celebration.
In a joint statement, the groups expressed frustration over the government’s failure to fulfil its September 2025 promise that the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) would buy all locally produced rice and maize. Farmers say no such purchases have occurred, leaving thousands of tonnes of grain unsold and many producers in debt.
The statement also accused the government of allowing markets to be flooded with cheap, expired, and smuggled imported rice — often repackaged by politically connected entities. These imports, the coalition claims, evade taxes and destroy local competitiveness, forcing Ghanaian farmers into financial distress.
Recent figures paint a dire picture. More than 200,000 metric tonnes of paddy rice from the 2024 harvest remain unsold in warehouses across the Upper East, Northern, and North East Regions. Projections suggest that Ghana’s 2025 rice harvest could reach 1.5 million metric tonnes — up from 1.3 million in 2024 — yet existing storage facilities are already overwhelmed.
Regional breakdowns show 300,000 tonnes from the Upper East, 400,000 from the North East, 300,000 from the Northern Region, 50,000 from the Savannah, 20,000 from the Upper West, and 100,000 from the Volta Region — much of which remains trapped in storage with no buyers.
The coalition is calling for urgent government intervention, including a six-month suspension of rice imports starting November 2025, tighter border enforcement, and a long-term import policy that prioritises locally grown crops. It also urges public institutions — such as schools, hospitals, prisons, and security agencies — to procure only Ghana-grown rice and maize.
Farmers further demand that the Ministry of Finance release funds to NAFCO to purchase the unsold grain and establish a guaranteed minimum price for rice and maize to protect producers from exploitation.
“The boycott is not against the spirit of Farmers’ Day,” the statement stressed. “It’s about demanding respect and fair policy. We cannot celebrate while our livelihoods collapse.”
The movement is backed by major groups including the Association of Rice Producers and Millers, Chamber of Agribusiness, Association of Soya Value Chain Actors, Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG), Ghana National Association of Farmers and Fishermen (GNAFF), General Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU), CropLife Ghana, Ghana Rice Inter-Professional Body (GRIB), National Seed Trade Association of Ghana (NASTAG), and the Association of Parboiled Rice Millers.
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