Rice farmers across the country are raising alarm over GH¢5 billion worth of unsold local rice piling up in warehouses, warning that the glut could push many out of business ahead of the next planting season.The Ghana Rice Inter-Professional Body (GRIB) says thousands of metric tonnes harvested from the 2025 major season remain stuck due to weak market uptake, leaving farmers unable to repay loans or prepare for new cultivation.
Farmers Count Losses
In the Volta, Northern, and Upper East regions, farmers say buyers are shunning local rice for cheaper imported brands. “We have rice worth millions sitting here. The banks are calling us. If we don’t sell by June, we can’t plant again,” said John Kwabla, a rice farmer at Weta Irrigation Scheme.GRIB President Nana Adjei Ayeh II estimates the unsold stock at over 300,000 metric tonnes, valued at roughly GH¢5 billion at current farmgate prices. “This is a crisis. Our farmers invested heavily with support from government’s PFJ 2.0, but the market is not absorbing it,” he told Citi News.
Why the Glut?
Competition from imports: Despite 50% benchmark value discounts being scrapped, imported rice from Vietnam and Thailand still lands cheaper due to subsidies and scale.
Weak offtake agreements: Major buyers, including schools and institutions, have not honored MoUs to buy local.
Mill capacity gaps: Some paddy is unmilled because processing plants are overstretched or lack funds to buy.
Government Response
The Ministry of Food and Agriculture says it is engaging the Buffer Stock Company and School Feeding Programme to mop up excess stock. Deputy Minister Yaw Frimpong Addo said: “We cannot allow farmers to lose. We are activating emergency purchasing and pushing institutional consumption of local rice.”
By: Stella Snell
