Bono East Region faces imminent maize shortage, traders warn

Maize traders in the Bono East Region are alarmed about an impending maize shortage in the area.According to them, traders from neighboring countries were invading farms in the region to buy maize and other staple foodstuffs at competitive prices, rather than purchasing from markets.The trend they said sparked concerns about food insecurity soon if pragmatic measures are not taken to address the issue.The traders and cargo drivers in the Techiman market lamented over the recent invasion of Francophone traders, who were competing with them for maize at the farm gate, leading to scarcity and potential food shortages.The Ghana Statistical Service's recent report of a 39 per cent food inflation rate in the Bono East Region confirms such development as the region, known as the food basket of the country, was facing a national security threat due to the invasion of the foreign traders.Mr. Obiri Yeboah, Secretary for Bono, Bono East, Ahafo, and Ashanti Regional Maize Sellers Association, confirmed the situ ation in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Monday at Techiman.He expressed concern and stated that they did not know what to do since the farmers prefer to sell maize at the farm gate to foreign traders at higher prices, rather than selling at the main market.Mr. Yeboah observed that the situation has led to a shortage of maize in the Techiman market and other areas, as Francophone countries like Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger were buying food with CFA, which is higher than the Cedis.The influx of foreign traders has influenced the increase of prices of commodities like maize, making it difficult for local citizens to purchase goods, even food, he said and called on stakeholders to put strategic measures in place to appreciate the currency and avoid other countries having a purchasing advantage over Ghanaian traders.Source: Ghana News Agency