Agribusiness Chamber demands end to grain export ban
The Chamber of Agribusiness Ghana has called on the government to lift the existing ban on grain exports, citing a food surplus in the country.
The chamber emphasised that removing the restriction would benefit all actors in the value chain, particularly farmers.
In an interview during the 7th edition of the Agrofood and Plastprintpack Ghana 2025 event, Chamber of Agribusiness CEO, Anthony Morrison, said easing export restrictions would enhance agricultural trade and create new market opportunities for farmers.
“There is a restriction order and export ban on grains across the board that has been in force since 2024. What the chamber wants to propose to the government is to find a way to remove the export ban as a result of the glut. The same restriction is giving the industry a problem, so what do you do? Remove the restriction, which is the ban, and allow people who have export to export.
“What the government can do is put a quota on the amount of rice to be imported every year, then they put a quota on soya that we will export, and the amount of quota of maize or rice that we will export. What it does have for us is that it gives the room and allowance to move around,” he explained.
Gregor Schneider, Trade Counsellor with the Delegation of the European Union to Ghana, encouraged industry players to protect their innovations through patents. “When you develop a new preservation technique, obviously, secure your innovation by a patent,” he advised participants.
Paul März, Managing Director of FairTrade Messe GmbH & Co KG, noted that exhibitors from 15 countries showcased diverse technologies, products, and solutions for the Ghanaian and West African markets.
Participating countries included China, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Germany, Ghana, India, Kenya, the Netherlands, Nigeria, South Africa, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates.
Mr. März also revealed that Ghana’s food and beverage technology imports increased from €59 million in 2017 to €80 million in 2024, while packaging technology imports reached €49 million in 2024, according to data from VDMA, the German Machinery Association.
Organised by Fairtrade Messe in partnership with ACE Group and Geovision, the 7th edition of Agrofood and Plastprintpack Ghana 2025 convened global industry leaders, innovators, and policymakers shaping the future of agribusiness, food processing, plastics, and packaging in West Africa.
