Agribusiness Players Call for Curbs on Food Imports
By Esther Korantemaa Offei
Young agribusiness entrepreneurs have appealed to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) to introduce policies that limit the importation of food products that can be produced locally, arguing that the influx of imported goods is undermining the local agricultural industry.
The appeal was made at a youth agribusiness dialogue that brought together policymakers, development partners, agribusiness leaders and young entrepreneurs to discuss practical measures to increase youth participation in agriculture and shape policies that promote sustainable growth in the sector.
Chief Executive Officer of As Passion Farms, Robben Asare, said the major challenge confronting local producers is no longer access to finance but the inability to find ready markets for their produce because of competition from imported food products.
“We all know that over the years financing has been the key challenge when it comes to agriculture, but what we experienced from last year through to this year is that it is no longer about financing. We have found our own way of producing. Now the goods are there, but because of the glut, we are not able to sell,” he said.
Mr. Asare disclosed that he currently has more than 2,000 bags of rice sitting in his warehouse, while several other farmers are facing similar difficulties.
“As we speak, I have over 2,000 bags of rice stuck in my warehouse, and I know others who have thousands of bags stored as well. We thank the Honourable Minister for bringing in tractors to support production and for distributing fertilisers to farmers. But I will plead with him to do something about the importation of goods that we can produce here in Ghana,” he added.
Country Programme Lead at AGRA Ghana, John Jagwe, underscored the need for stronger institutional support to help young people succeed in agriculture.
“Our collaboration with the Ministry of Youth Development and Empowerment has been phenomenal. Together, we have developed a national youth database that will help us identify where young people are, understand their needs and determine how best they can be supported,” Mr. Jagwe said.
Participants at the dialogue stressed that creating a favourable market for locally produced food, alongside targeted support for young farmers, would boost investment in agriculture, create jobs and reduce Ghana’s dependence on food imports.
