The agricultural paradox: Rescuing Ghana’s democratic pride from economic ironies
Ghana stands as a beacon of democracy in sub-Saharan Africa. We are celebrated globally for our peaceful transitions of power and stable institutions.
Yet, beneath this exemplary political exterior lies a dangerous agricultural paradox.
While thousands of metric tonnes of domestic rice and maize sit unsold in the regions during harvest gluts, the nation continues to spend millions of dollars importing basic perishables like tomatoes from landlocked Burkina Faso.
If left unaddressed, this structural failure threatens to undermine our sovereign gains, leaving Ghana exposed to international embarrassment and the risk of being labelled a failed economic state.
The Irony of Plenty and Scarcity
Every minor shift in regional trade reveals the extreme vulnerability of our food security.
For example, recent disruptions along the Burkina Faso corridor immediately triggered acute tomato shortages and price spikes across major markets in Kumasi and Accra.
It is a national contradiction that a country with fertile soils, vast water basins, and favourable rain patterns depends so heavily on a neighbour facing severe desertification. The same can be said on onion.
Today, Ghanaian business men and women invest heavily in Niger, also a landlocked country with a similar condition such as Burkina Faso, to harvest onions in Niger and import to Ghana.
Simultaneously, Ghana suffers from a major food glut in staples. Our hard-working farmers grow abundant quantities of maize and rice, only to watch them rot or sell at a loss due to a lack of processing infrastructure, insufficient storage, and poor market distribution.
We are active in food production but fundamentally failing in post-harvest management and policy execution.
The Bible explicitly cautions against this exact kind of short-sighted planning: “He who gathers crops in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.” (Proverbs 10:5)
When we allow local grains to waste while draining our scarce foreign exchange on food imports, we embody that very disgrace.
Similarly, the Quran warns against wasteful neglect and imbalance:
“And it is He who produces gardens, trellised and untrellised, and date palms, and crops of different shapes and tastes, and olives, and pomegranates, similar and varied. Eat of its fruit when it yields and give its due [zakah] on the day of its harvest.
And be not excessive. Indeed, He does not like those who commit excess.” (6:141) Preserving Our Democratic Dignity
True democracy goes beyond peaceful elections. It requires the ability to feed your citizens without relying on outside sources. Political stability cannot last on an empty stomach.
A recent visit to Nigeria highlighted the impressive impact of the late President Muhammadu Buhari’s agricultural policies. His initiatives to boost the local cultivation and consumption of staples—such as rice, onions, tomatoes, and fruits—dramatically transformed the country.
Although the initial import bans on items like foreign rice sparked public resistance, the eventual success of these policies united the nation in support of domestic production.
To avoid the global embarrassment of economic failure, Ghana must take bold, deliberate steps immediately:
Empower the Buffer Stock System: The National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) must be adequately funded to buy up excess local rice and maize during the harvest.
This stabilises prices, gives farmers guaranteed income, and prevents the tragedy of post-harvest waste.
Invest in Cold-Chain and Processing: We must move beyond rain-fed farming by building permanent irrigation schemes and cold storage infrastructure.
Converting our fresh tomato gluts into processed paste protects local industry and directly replaces imports.
Drive Intentional Import Substitution: The government must enforce trade policies that prioritize locally grown food items for state-run institutions, school feeding programs, and the security services.
The path forward
Ghana is too mature and too capable to let poor planning ruin its international reputation.
Transforming our agricultural sector from a source of waste into a strong business is the true test of our leadership. By aligning our farming policies with our political achievements, we can ensure that our fertile lands feed our people, preserve our dignity, and protect our standing as a true leader in Africa.
This has nothing to do with party affiliation or colours, it’s a matter of National pride and food security for our nation. For anyone who politicises food security matters is unpatriotic and an enemy to the State. Long live Ghana and make her greater and stronger.
From: Alhaji Khuzaima Mohammed Osman
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