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The Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG) is urging the government to urgently rescue rice farmers who are losing their investments because they cannot find buyers for their produce.

The Association says the rice glut has left some farmers with large quantities of unsold rice, while others have been forced to leave their crops on farms because they cannot afford to harvest them without a ready market.

PFAG Executive Director, Bismark Nortey, said the government must introduce an emergency support package for farmers whose crops have already been lost.

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“Government should, as a matter of urgency, announce some immediate emergency support or emergency relief to farmers who are unable to sell their produce,” he stated.

Nortey said some farmers had suffered losses even before their rice could reach the market.

According to him, harvested rice has gone bad due to inadequate storage, while crops left on farms have been destroyed by bushfires or lost because farmers could not find buyers.

He cautioned that simply increasing funds to buy rice in the coming months would not be enough, as farmers who have already lost their crops would be left without support.

PFAG is therefore calling for a separate relief package for farmers who have suffered direct losses, alongside efforts to buy rice that is still available.

The Association is also pressing the government to increase funding for the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) to help clear the excess rice on the market.

Nortey said NAFCO had requested about GH¢1.5 billion but received only about GH¢300 million, which he believes is insufficient to address the scale of the problem.

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“NAFCO has been consistent regarding the fact that their monies are inadequate to mop up all the food system,” he said.

He noted that the funding shortage had limited NAFCO and its licensed buying companies from reaching farmers in communities where rice remains unsold.

PFAG is also demanding greater transparency in NAFCO’s operations to ensure that available funds reach farmers and communities facing the biggest challenges.

The Association says urgent government action is needed to prevent further losses and protect farmers who have invested heavily in rice production.

Source : ghanaweb