Farmers in Ghana’s Upper East Region are grappling with excess produce and limited market access despite increased agricultural output, a senior agriculture official said.
Dr. Joshua Diedong, the Agriculture Director for Builsa South, said production levels have risen significantly across the region, creating a supply surplus that local markets cannot absorb.
“Production has increased to the point where we cannot consume everything we produce,” he said in an interview on Dreamz FM. “Some farmers still have produce but are unable to find buyers.”
The situation has led to falling prices. In Builsa South, a major rice-producing district, a 100-kilogram bag of paddy rice that sold for about 500 Ghana cedis last year now goes for between 300 and 350 cedis, depending on quality.
Dr Diedong said the imbalance between supply and demand is hurting farmers’ incomes, particularly those engaged in commercial agriculture who depend on timely sales to repay loans and reinvest in production.
“When supply exceeds demand, prices fall, and farmers struggle to break even,” he said.
He warned that prolonged storage without adequate facilities could worsen losses through pest infestation and declining quality, especially for crops such as maize and legumes.
The director called for urgent government intervention to expand storage infrastructure and create reliable market systems, including value addition and export opportunities.
He also stressed the need for policies that ensure farmers can sell their produce at sustainable prices.
“Government should be able to mop up excess produce and stabilize the system,” he said. “The farmer needs cash, while the state can hold the food to manage supply.”
