Collins Sefa The government has allocated GH¢100 million in 2025 to strengthen the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) and safeguard Ghana’s food reserves against emergencies.
The funds, captured in the Ministry of Food and Agriculture’s Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (2025–2028), will enable NAFCO to purchase and store essential food commodities, ensuring availability during crises and market disruptions.
Agric Minister Eric Opoku stressed the importance of a proactive buffer stock system, noting:
“In times of crisis, the buffer stock stores should be able to say we have 10,000 or 20,000 tonnes of maize, rice or soybeans ready to stabilise the market.”
In June this year, the minister inaugurated a new nine-member NAFCO board, tasking it to enhance food security by buying surplus harvests, storing them to maintain price stability, and releasing them during lean periods to curb inflationary pressures.
The announcement follows recent regional support when ECOWAS donated 500 metric tonnes of cereals to Ghana in September, including maize, rice, millet and sorghum. The consignment was distributed as food grants to eight regions hit by prolonged droughts, underscoring the urgent need for strong national reserves.
NAFCO, established in 2010, was mandated to purchase excess produce from farmers during gluts and manage the country’s emergency food stock. This intervention continues to provide a safety net for farmers while protecting households from shortages and price hikes.
