By Prince Ahenkorah
The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, has said that the government will need about GH¢500 million to tackle the ongoing food glut that has left many farmers across the country battling losses from unsold produce.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Monday, November 10, 2025, Mr. Opoku said the situation demands urgent, data-driven action to prevent widespread waste and restore confidence among farmers.
“You do not just get up and move into a farm because there is a glut,” he cautioned. “You need to move there with your technical team to ascertain the amount of farm produce to be procured. From the figures we are receiving, we will need about GH¢500 million to be able to clear it.”
The Minister revealed that the Ministry is engaging the World Food Programme and other development partners to help manage the glut and prevent future recurrences.
He warned that the failure to act swiftly could discourage farmers from reinvesting in agriculture.
“If we don’t act and allow these foods to go to waste, it will be a huge loss of the century,” he said. “Farmers will be demotivated to invest in agriculture.”
In a related move, President John Dramani Mahama, has directed the National Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO), to buy up surplus produce from struggling farmers, particularly those cultivating rice, maize, and other grains.
“The National Buffer Stocks is procuring rice, maize, gari, and many other grains from the farmers,” Mr. Opoku disclosed.
He added that the government initially released GH¢100 million to NAFCO for the exercise, which has already been exhausted. Another GH¢100 million has been approved to continue purchasing directly from farmers in the field.
“As we speak, the initial GH¢100 million has been fully utilized,” the Minister said. “I have verified the quantities procured, and additional funds have been released for further purchases.”
The move forms part of the government’s broader strategy to stabilize food prices, protect farmers’ livelihoods, and ensure sustainable agricultural production nationwide.
While crop farmers face challenges with unsold grains, poultry farmers, especially in the Bono Region, are grappling with a massive egg glut that has pushed many to the brink of collapse.
Some farmers have resorted to selling off their birds prematurely, while others are reportedly burying unsold eggs to avoid further losses.
To address the crisis, Mr. Opoku announced that the Ministry of Education will soon begin purchasing excess eggs from farmers through the School Feeding Programme, following a directive from President Mahama.
“The issue was raised before Cabinet, and His Excellency the President directed the Ministry of Education to ensure that the glut is cleared to support the School Feeding Programme,” the Minister said.
“The Ministry is now preparing to clear the glut, and very soon, you will see them on the ground procuring the excess eggs.”
Even as the government prepares to launch the much-publicised, “Nkokɔ Nketenkete” poultry initiative on Wednesday, November 12, aimed at boosting domestic poultry production, industry players are crying foul over what they describe as poor consultation.
Vice President of the Sunyani Poultry Farmers Association, Johnson Yeboah, criticised the government for failing to engage stakeholders before rolling out the programme.
“You hear the government, past and present, always talking about the industry, but they do not engage with us, the stakeholders, to know the challenges we have and how to solve them,” he said. “Typical of such is the government’s ‘Nkokɔ Nketenkete’. No government official has engaged us.”
He dismissed claims that 80,000 birds would be distributed to farmers as mere lip service, warning that without proper planning and market structures, the initiative could lead to chaos.
“You cannot just throw out birds into the system in the name of a campaign promise,” he said. “People are rushing to register for the programme who are not poultry farmers. If you do not get proper market channels, it will create huge problems, including disease outbreaks.”
The unfolding crisis paints a worrying picture of Ghana’s agricultural sector one plagued by oversupply, weak markets, and insufficient coordination.