Considering the current economic climate and competing priorities for agricultural development, the Chamber of Agribusiness Ghana (CAG) is raising serious concerns about government’s proposed US$64million grain silo project.
The US$64million price-tag of the project is what’s disturbing CAG – which urges the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to rather prioritise investments in irrigation infrastructure, post-harvest facilities and farmer capacity building to boost productivity in the grains sector.
Additionally, the Chamber’s Chief Executive Officer, Anthony Morrison, criticised the proposed 60,000-tonne silo’s location in the Eastern Region; arguing that the Bono, Ahafo, Ashanti, Volta and Upper West Regions are the primary hubs for maize and rice production, not Kwahu in the Eastern Region.
The Chamber buttressed its argument with statistical data that show in the year 2023 maize and rice production were dominated by the Bono, Ahafo and Volta Regions.
“Ghana produced 3.7 million tonnes of maize in 2023. Major producing regions were Brong-Ahafo – 30 percent; Ashanti – 20 percent and Upper West – 15 percent.
“Similarly, Ghana produced 1.9 million tonnes of rice in 2023. Major producing regions were Volta – 60 percent; Northern- 20 percent; and Upper West – 10 percent. How, then, does Eastern Region host the grains silo.”
Indeed, CAG maintains that there are several experts and research findings out there which show investing in grain storage infrastructure is crucial; but location, capacity and cost are critical factors to consider.
Constructing silos in major grain-producing regions like Bono, Ahafo, Ashanti, Upper West for maize and Volta Region for rice will yield more impact than the current option.
Investment in irrigation infrastructure to increase grain production, enhancing farmer capacity building and extension services are some proposals the Chamber has made as an alternative.
The Chamber – a policy, technical and trade advisory body – believes strategic prioritisation for utmost impact instead of investing in a single, large-scale silo ought to be the way to go; and since it represents the interests of those engaged in agri-business and backs its assertion with relevant data, we believe broader consultation on the grains silo should have taken place to ensure optimum results and gain wider acceptance.
