The Tumu Traditional Council, in consultation with the other Traditional Councils in the Sissala area, has taken a decisive step to safeguard the livelihoods of maize farmers in the Sissala area by announcing a new minimum price for maize. 

This follows a series of complaints from major maize farmers to the traditional council after a sharp drop in the market price, which seems to threaten the economic well-being of farmers across the maize-producing communities. 

A statement issued by Kuoro Richard Babini Kanton VI, the President of the Tumu Traditional Council, in collaboration with the Gwollu, Zini, Welembelle, Pulima, Lambussie, Bawiesebelle, Banu, Kojikperie and the Funsi Traditional Councils, said the price of maize had dropped from GH¢550 to as low as GH¢400 per 100kg bag in recent weeks. 

This significant drop, despite the high quality of maize produced in the Sissala area, has left many farmers struggling to meet their production costs and abandoning their farms. 

The statement said, “The recent drop in price is unacceptable and unsustainable for the farmers.  

“We cannot stand by while our hardworking farmers, who produce some of the most sought-after maize in the world, are exploited and impoverished while input prices remain the same”, it added. 

The situation led to consultations with some major buyers in the area, including the West African Regional Company (WARC), private buyers, where the traditional council set a new minimum price of GH¢500 per 100kg bag of maize, effective July 8, 2025. 

Farmers have, therefore, been strongly advised not to sell their produce below this price to any buyer or individual, or company.  

The chiefs emphasised that the move was meant not only to stabilise income for farmers but also to ensure that agricultural production remained sustainable in the area and to protect vulnerable farmers. 

The directive comes amid growing concerns that if the price crash is not addressed, many farmers may be forced to abandon maize farming, which forms the backbone of the local economy. 

The statement called on all stakeholders, including buyers, farmers, and government authorities, to support this effort to protect one of Ghana’s most productive maize hubs. 

Mr Mahamud Aduna, the President of the Sissala Union, also a commercial maize farmer, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Tumu that most maize farmers were being priced out by middlemen who manipulated the market, leaving little for the farmer after production. 

He said, from conservative estimates, the Sissala area’s production of maize and other grains was more than half of Ghana’s maize requirements. 

Mr Aduna urged the government to introduce special initiatives to optimise maize production for the country and the sub-region. 

He also appealed to the government to pay attention to the area by providing access roads and agricultural mechanisation to reduce the reliance on labour-intensive production. 

Alhaji Kasim Buwale of the Sissala area farmers’ Association told the GNA that they had thousands of tonnes of maize piled up, but selling them now at GH¢400 would erode their production capital.  

He gave the assurance that the Sissala area could produce enough maize for the country if supported.