Ghanaian maize farmers are raising alarm over the government’s continued suspension of restrictions on corn imports, warning that the policy could push many of them out of business.
The move, which has led to a projected 500,000 metric tonnes of corn imports in the 2025/2026 marketing year, is intended to stabilise food prices. But farmers, particularly in the Afram Plains, say they are already battling a glut and struggling to sell their harvests.
“We are sitting on heaps of maize with no buyers. Meanwhile, government is opening the doors wide for imports. This is not sustainable,” a farmer in Donkorkrom lamented.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Grain and Feed Annual 2025 Report, the figure represents a 67 percent jump over the 2024/2025 estimate. Corn prices, which peaked at GHȼ380 ($24.52) per 50kg bag earlier this year, have since dropped as imported supplies increase.
While consumers and agribusinesses welcome the relief, stakeholders in the agriculture value chain warn of dire consequences if local production continues to be undercut.
Anthony Morrison, CEO of the Chamber of Agribusiness Ghana, told Citi Business News that the country urgently needs a comprehensive strategy to balance imports with domestic output.
“Government cannot rely only on imports to manage prices. We need a long-term plan that supports farmers with technology, irrigation, and lower production costs,” Morrison said.
The report also noted that prolonged dry spells in 2024 hampered local yields, prompting earlier decisions to facilitate large volumes of imports through tax exemptions and private sector incentives. That policy saw maize imports jump nearly 18 times higher than the year before.
For farmers, however, the fear is that Ghana could become increasingly dependent on foreign grain at the expense of local livelihoods.
