The Eat Ghana Rice Campaign has issued an urgent appeal for citizens to purchase domestically produced rice as an estimated 1.3 million metric tonnes of paddy rice remain unsold in warehouses across the country.
Media reports over the past week highlighted the crisis affecting millions of Ghanaian farmers who achieved record harvests but now face catastrophic potential losses due to lack of buyers. The significant glut threatens livelihoods across the agricultural sector despite increased production capacity.
The campaign partners acknowledged government intervention efforts through the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) to purchase excess stock. However, they emphasized that governmental action alone cannot resolve the surplus situation facing the rice industry.
Seven organizations comprise the campaign partnership, including the John A. Kufuor Foundation, Competitive African Rice Platform (CARP) of the ECOWAS Rice Observatory (ERO), Ghana Rice Interprofessional Body (GRIB), Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG), Hopeline Institute, Farm Wallet, and AGRA. These groups have promoted local rice consumption since 2019.
The campaign stressed that sustainable solutions require fundamental shifts in national consumption habits rather than temporary government purchases. Choosing Ghana Rice over imported varieties would reduce the glut while empowering the agricultural sector for long term growth.
Statistics from the Ghana Statistical Service’s 2024 Trade Report reveal that rice accounted for 7.8 percent of the nation’s total food imports last year. The country spent approximately 3 billion Ghana cedis on rice importation in 2024 despite availability of domestic alternatives.
Campaign representatives addressed longstanding quality concerns that historically deterred consumers from purchasing local rice. They declared that perceptions about inferior quality and presence of stones or foreign materials are now outdated and inaccurate.
The Ghana Rice value chain has undergone significant technological transformation, according to the statement. Millers have invested heavily in state of the art dehusking, grading, polishing, and color sorting equipment to modernize processing standards.
Leading brands now utilize sophisticated machinery ensuring clean, consumer ready grain that conforms with Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) and Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) standards. The processing improvements produce beautifully polished grains consistent in size and texture.
Local rice delivers non sticky, fluffy texture essential for popular dishes including Jollof, Waakye, and Plain Rice, the campaign noted. Unlike imported rice spending months in transit, Ghana Rice moves directly from fields to consumers, retaining fresh aroma and flavor while offering superior nutritional value.
Price comparisons favor domestic options, with Ghana Rice brands typically cheaper than imported alternatives. The campaign framed purchasing local rice as patriotic investment in national food systems and economic stability.
Every grain of imported rice purchased represents confidence in foreign farmers and foreign economies rather than supporting Ghanaian producers, the statement argued. Consuming domestic rice keeps billions of cedis circulating within the national economy.
Additional benefits include currency stability, job creation for women and youth, and building national resilience against global food price shocks and supply chain disruptions. The campaign positioned local consumption as protection against international market volatility.
The appeal targeted individual citizens, households, restaurants, hotels, and corporate bodies to actively seek Ghana Rice brands when shopping. Campaign partners urged immediate action to address the warehouse surplus situation.
The coordinated effort represents collaboration across agricultural advocacy organizations and farmer associations.
The rice glut situation illustrates broader tensions between increased domestic production capacity and established consumer preferences for imported products. Changing these consumption patterns requires both quality improvements and sustained awareness campaigns.
Government support through NAFCO purchases provides temporary relief but cannot substitute for market driven demand from consumers and institutions. The campaign emphasized that individual purchasing decisions collectively determine the rice sector’s viability.
Warehouse storage of 1.3 million metric tonnes represents substantial financial pressure on farmers who invested resources in cultivation expecting market demand. Extended storage without sales could result in quality deterioration and complete loss of investment for producers.
