The Ministry of Agriculture expects the maize yields to decline by 10.5% this year due to the shortage of fertilizer.

According to data provided by the ministry in charge of Agriculture, total yields from maize amounted to 2,019, 000 Metric Tons (MT) in 2020. However, the Ministry expects the total production of one of the most widely used cereals in the country to decline to 1,806,000 MT in 2021.

Already, prices of the commodity have been on the high side since the last quarter of last year. This has impacted negatively on the activities of the poultry industry. It has also impacted heavily on the cost of food items such as kenkey.

Nevertheless, the recent data show that since 2017, maize production in the country has improved significantly. Maize production in 2017 was 465,000 Metric Tons but rose to 637.2 Metric Tons the following year.

Furthermore, Maize production rose sharply to 1,523, 000 Metric Tons in 2019 as per the data released by the Agriculture Ministry. The bumper harvest in 2019 coincides with good weather conditions as well as government’s interventions under the Plating for Food & Jobs (PFJs) initiative.

Of major concern to the current expectations of a decline in maize yields this year, is the likely impacts on food security and prices in the market.

Unless, the situation changes, some unscrupulous traders may take advantage of the imminent decline in yields to hoard the commodity. This will further worsen the situation, putting consumers and other operators in the value chain on the edge.

Rice production to rise

Meanwhile, the government’s resolve to reduce rice import bill is very much on course as portrayed by the data from the Ministry of Agriculture. Paddy rice production is expected to rise to 1,624,000 MT in 2021 from 919, 800 MT produced in 2020.

This means that rice production will increase by 704.2 MT this year, representing 76.6% improvement over the previous year.

Just like the other major staple foods, the production of rice in the country has seen a face lift since 2017. From a gross yield of 179,000 MT in 2017, rice production rose to 416, 000 MT in 2018 and then increased further to 563,000 MT in 2019.

Soya production to hit 1miilion MT

Meanwhile, another important commodity that has a ready market for Ghanaian farmers, both locally and internationally, is soya beans. On August 29, 2021, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto stated that soya cultivation is gaining grounds in Ghana especially in the northern part of the country. Dr. Akoto revealed that soya production has increase by 10 percent in the last couple of years.

Addressing a press conference in Accra on Sunday August 29, the Minister hinted that “we are expecting 345,000 metric tons of soya beans this year in spite of all”. Speaking with reference to the current fertilizer shortage in the country, he explained that soya has a nitrogen fixing organism so it doesn’t need much fertilizer.

Luckily, the Minister indicated that farmers are currently moving into soya bean cultivation especially in the northern region which “I have observed in the last year or two”.

Based on this observation, Dr. Akoto noted that “we are confident that Ghana will be producing 1million metric tons of soya in the next three years”. However, to him, that will be possible “if we continue the way we are [doing now]”.

Data provided by the Ministry of Agriculture show that soya bean production rose from 33, 400 MT in 2017 to193, 000 MT in 2020. It is currently projected to rise to 345, 000 MT by the end of 2021.