The President of Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), Dr. Humphrey Anim-Darke has proposed to government to set an off-taker price for the grains sector -rice, soghum in a bid to curb market infiltration, price imbalances and ensure a harmonized price market.
There is already a Grains and Legumes Development Board to produce and distribute good quality foundation seeds of cereals, legumes and vegetable seeds as well as vegetatively propagated planting materials of cassava, plantain, yam and citrus seedlings.
However, government plans to set up a Grains Development Authority (GDA) to further the development and regulation of the market for domestically produced grains and legumes. It is expected to be the panacea for the various identified bottlenecks associated with domestic grain and legume production, marketing, and trade.
His comments comes on the back of the role of the MasterCard Foundation’s in the grains sector and according to Dr.Anim-Darke , guaranteeing an off-taker price will harmonize the raw material market and give room to the One District One Factory (1D1F) to buy at a harmonized price.
Speaking as one of the panelists on MTN Business Executive Series, he suggested that “Our appeal is that when you form a Grains Authority, and then you could guarantee an off-taker price for the grains product, it stops the market infiltration, price imbalances, undercutting and it straightens the off-taker price and the farmer who is in the space of grains is confident that if I produce 12 acres at an off-taker price of 5ghc , it harmonize the raw material market and then gives room to the 1D1F and to buy at a harmonized price, then the efficiency of your factory, your marketing skills then gives you the market to distribute and make your margin.
Norvanreport