The Executive Secretary of the Ghana Grains Council, Emily Afaribea Boahen, says there’s the need for stronger collaboration between stakeholders in the grain and legumes sector value chain to aid enforcement of industry standards for Ghana’s economic development.
Speaking to Citi Business News, Mrs. Boahen said the implementation of national standards aimed at keeping aflatoxin exposure levels below 10 ppb, will ensure quality and safety in the domestic market, and boost Ghana’s export of grain produce.
She added that the country’s adherence to industry standards will also give Ghanaian producers the advantage to access high-end markets, where they can benefit from premium pricing to boost profit margins.
According to her, higher aflatoxin levels found in food poses a health threat to consumers as the substance has been identified to be one of the major causes of liver cancer in humans.
She explained that aflatoxins in animal feed can also infect and contaminate livestock and eggs, making them unsafe for consumption by humans.
The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), which is the government institution mandated to ensure enforcement of GSA standards for various industries, will from January 2021, commence certification of warehouses in major markets as well as testing of produce to ensure compliance across the country.
Mrs. Afaribea Boahen commended the BUSAC Fund for financing advocacy campaigns and spearheading the cause to ensure aflatoxin regulation laws are passed by parliament.
She said general compliance of industry standards will give Ghanaian producers advantage over competition from other countries within the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).
Grains dominate staples in Ghana; rice being the second-most-consumed after corn, which accounts for 62% of total grain output, (rice 16%, sorghum 14% and millet 8%).
With average annual production of 1.75 million metric tonnes since 2016, corn is the mainstay of the diet for majority of Ghanaians, and an increasingly important component of the livestock feed sector as well as the nation’s brewing industry.
ABOUT GGC
The Ghana Grains Council (GGC) is a private sector-led initiative with membership drawn from players in the grain industry whose businesses range from production, through harvesting to storage and processing.
Since 2010, GGC has been advocating for favourable policies and enforcement of an agreed code of practices for the development of the grain industry in Ghana.
The Council works for the best interest of actors in the grains value chain to achieve improvement in productivity, quality and greater commercialization.
GGC’s core mandate includes developing advocacy capacity by lobbying for government policies for the grain industry; initiating and developing a new Warehouse Receipt System (WRS), and facilitating workshops and conferences for stakeholders with the goal of improving standards within the value chain.
The rest are facilitating the wide distribution of market prices; facilitating institutional sales for quality grain that meets agreed industry standards, and facilitating an arbitration panel to address stakeholder disputes.
