The Cabinet has approved the release of an initial GH¢100 million to purchase surplus food from farmers across the country, the Deputy Chief Executive of the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO), Osmend Amuah, has stated.
The funding, he said, forms part of the government’s plan to mop up excess produce, prevent post-harvest losses and build a national food reserve to enhance food security.
Speaking at a press conference in Accra on Thursday [October 30], Mr Amuah said with the funds, NAFCO has already procured 60,000 bags of rice, 120,000 bags of maize, and 10,000 bags of gari, targeting key staple foods for emergency reserves.
He said the initiative responds to farmers’ appeals for market access amid high yields and limited storage capacity.
“Farmers in the Afram Plains and the northern belt are complaining that there is no market space for them, there is no price, and because there is limited storage, some of them cannot store their produce. So, the potential to have high post-harvest losses was huge.”
“So, this plea was channeled through the Minister for Agriculture and through his instrumentality, he engaged the cabinet and the cabinet approved an initial funding of GH¢100 million for NAFCO to go to the market and start the mop-up process,” he said.
NKONKONSA.com
