President John Dramani Mahama has ordered that all rice supplied to schools nationwide be procured centrally through the Ghana Buffer Stock Company Limited to enforce the use of locally produced rice.
The directive, issued from the Presidency, aims to curb the continued use of imported rice in educational institutions despite existing government policies intended to boost domestic agriculture.
Last year, the government introduced a decentralized procurement policy, allowing schools to source food from their immediate communities. This initiative was designed to support local value chains and provide Ghanaian rice farmers with better market access.
However, the Presidency noted that many schools have bypassed these guidelines in favor of imported brands, a trend the President stated undermines efforts to retain value within the national economy.
To ensure compliance, the President has moved to centralize the process. According to the directive, “The Ministry of Education is therefore requested to take the necessary steps, in collaboration with the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Ghana Buffer Stock Company Limited, to ensure the effective implementation of this directive, including the establishment of appropriate coordination and distribution mechanisms to facilitate the timely supply of local rice to schools.”
The Presidency further explained that, “The objective of this measure is to guarantee compliance with Government policy, strengthen local rice production, and ensure a stable and transparent supply chain for schools.”
The Ministry of Education has been instructed to treat the matter as urgent and provide regular updates to the Office of the President regarding the implementation of the new supply chain arrangements.