Ghana’s strategic food reserve push is being undermined by crumbling warehouse infrastructure, with the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) unable to absorb surplus grains despite the government releasing GH¢300 million for strategic stock purchases.
NAFCO’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Osmond Amuah, identified deteriorating storage facilities as the central obstacle blocking effective grain off-take across major producing regions. Of NAFCO’s total installed capacity of 129,000 metric tonnes nationwide, only between 40,000 and 44,000 metric tonnes remain usable, the rest rendered non-functional by years of neglect.
The numbers behind the crisis are stark. Ghana faces an estimated storage deficit of 420,000 metric tonnes. With annual grain consumption exceeding six to seven million metric tonnes, the country should ideally hold reserves of between 10 and 30 percent of that figure to cushion against food emergencies and price shocks.
Government-backed agricultural interventions have boosted output, producing a rice glut in key producing areas. Yet without functional warehouses to receive the surplus, many farmers are being forced to sell immediately after harvest at significantly lower prices, deepening rural income losses.
International support is already flowing in. The World Food Programme (WFP) is equipping NAFCO with machinery valued at over $1 million, while a separate contract worth nearly $2 million has been awarded for the rehabilitation of a major warehouse facility in Tamale. NAFCO is simultaneously refurbishing satellite warehouses across the country using internally generated funds.
Private sector participation is also being formalised. Six private warehouse operators have been engaged under a zonal system covering Northern, Middle, and Southern sectors to support grain purchases at scale.
“We need stronger private sector involvement,” Amuah said.
Beyond infrastructure, NAFCO is pushing for a shift in consumer behaviour. Imported rice currently undercuts locally produced grain on price, a dynamic Amuah acknowledged must be addressed through targeted policy and public awareness. The company is also exploring farmer service centres and mobile storage units as supplementary solutions to the widening capacity gap.
