On Friday, December 5, a stern warning echoed from Ghana’s Parliament as Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin sounded the alarm over rampant food smuggling undermining the nation’s farmers and threatening food security.
In a statement released that day, Afenyo-Markin revealed that rice, fish, and other essential food products, often smuggled into the country and repackaged by politically connected individuals, are saturating local markets. These imported goods are sold at prices far below those of locally produced foods, leaving Ghanaian farmers and fishers unable to compete.
“This is happening even as our farmers battle unsold produce and our fishers face scarcity at sea,” the Minority statement read. “Cheap, expired, and smuggled products continue to destroy local markets. A nation blessed with fertile land and abundant waters cannot continue to allow this to happen.”
The Minority pointed out that already, farmers and fishers are grappling with rising production costs, logistical hurdles, and insufficient government support. The unchecked inflow of smuggled foods, they argued, only worsens these difficulties, further squeezing the livelihoods of those who form the backbone of the country’s economy.
The Minority called for urgent government action to clamp down on food smuggling. They urged authorities to rigorously enforce customs and import regulations, punish offenders, and create a level playing field for local producers. Additionally, the government was called upon to prioritize the purchase of unsold domestic grains, ensure reliable premix fuel supplies for fishing communities, and strengthen national programmes to support modernized agriculture and aquaculture practices.
Mr. Afenyo-Markin emphasized the critical role of Ghanaian farmers and fishers in sustaining the nation’s food security and economy. “Our producers deserve policies that safeguard their markets, support their livelihoods, and ensure that they can compete fairly while feeding the nation.”
As Parliament’s Minority sounds the alarm, the spotlight is now firmly on the government to take decisive action to protect Ghana’s food systems and those who sustain them.
Source: Apexnewsgh.com
