The Chamber of Agribusiness Ghana has called on government to constitute a National Food Security Committee that will control the supply and pricing of food commodities in the country.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber, Anthony Morrison, believes the Committee will go a long way in regulating the incidence of high food pricing, especially during emergency situations like the impact of the Russia – Ukraine war on the global food value chain.
His comment follows fears of a continuous hike in food prices in the country.
“It’s high time we become more strategic as a country. The Ukraine-Russia war is not the cause of food inflation. It has only exposed how prepared countries were for food security. Even before the Russia-Ukraine tension, we saw prices of food jump. The price of a 50kilogram of maize last year was GH¢82.00. It has jumped all the way to GH¢120.00.”
“There is the need for us to start looking at a national food security committee to control food pricing in the country,” he said on The Big Issue on Citi TV on Saturday.
Latest data from the Ghana Statistical Service, indicated that food inflation recorded a rate of 22.4% in March 2022, compared to 17.4% in February 2022.
The Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana has warned that food prices may continue to soar if government does not intervene.