Government says it has begun procurement processes with rice millers across the country to mill excess paddy rice from farmers, a move expected to enable the National Food Buffer Stock Company Limited (NAFCO) to purchase the rice after milling.
According to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, the intervention follows concerns raised by rice farmers over the lack of a ready market for their surplus produce, a situation that has contributed to a glut in several rice-producing areas.
Speaking during a working visit as part of his tour of the Kpong Irrigation Scheme on Thursday January, 22, 2026, the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, explained that the challenge stems from NAFCO’s procurement policy, which focuses on milled rice rather than paddy.
“The only challenge we are facing now has to do with paddy because the National Food Buffer Stock Company is not procuring paddy; they are procuring milled rice,” Mr. Opoku said.
He noted that government is therefore working to support rice millers by making resources available to enable them to purchase paddy from farmers, process it, and supply the finished product to NAFCO.
“We want to empower the millers, make resources available to them to buy the paddy, do the milling, and then supply Buffer Stock,” the minister explained.
Mr. Opoku added that, in line with established procurement procedures, NAFCO has advertised for interested millers and other stakeholders to participate in the process, which is nearing completion.
“As of last week, when they briefed me, the procurement process was almost complete, and within the shortest possible time, aggregators will be sent to the various enclaves to commence the purchase of these excesses,” he said.
The deployment of aggregators to key rice-producing areas is expected to ease market pressures, stabilise farmgate prices, and reduce post-harvest losses, providing timely relief to farmers affected by the current surplus.
