The National Food and Buffer Stock Company has taken over 13 warehouses and commenced rehabilitation of 12 others handed down by the Northern Rural Growth Program in a bid to address post-harvest losses in the country.

These comprise of nine warehouses of 1000 Metric ton capacity each for grains and four pack houses of 100 metric ton capacity each for fruits and vegetables.
 
Altogether, the 13 facilities will bring on additional 13,000 metric ton storage for grains, fruits and vegetables.  

Speaking to JoyBusiness on a two-day tour in the Upper East region, the CEO of the National Food and Buffer Stock Company Abdul Hanan Wahab said the additional warehouse capacity is to make ready storage for anticipated bumper harvest from the planting for food and jobs initiative.

“Because of the increasing production under the planting for food and jobs, we are foreseeing that a problem we might face will be stored so it’s our mandate to ensure that we reduce the post-harvest losses’’.

Aside from the validation of the warehouses handed over by Northern Rural Growth Program (NRPG), I2 other warehouse facilities have been identified for rehabilitation. 

The rehabilitation of the extra 12 warehouses is anticipated to cost $1.4 million dollars and being undertaken by the Savana Zone Agricultural Productivity Improvement Program.

According to Lead Engineer for the Project, Bloomfield C Attipoe, the $1.4 million will be disbursed on rehabilitating the facilities based on their location and importance after assessment. 

He added that the rehabilitation of the warehouse facilities was timely to cut down losses of farmers by providing storage to address post-harvest losses and provide a ready market for farmers.

Tour of warehouses

The first point of call on the tour was a 2000 metric ton warehouse facility in Zuarungu marked for rehabilitation. The rehabilitation of the facility will include an expansion of the warehouse with an additional 200 metric ton space, construction of offices as well as proper fencing and drying area.

At Pualugu, a 1000 metric ton Packhouse was handed over to the National Food and Buffer Stock Company. 

Mr Hanan Wahab said the Packhouse would be used for storage of fruits and vegetables produced within the area to supply to schools within the are.

He added that his outfit is teaming up with the Ghana Export Promotion authority to leverage on the pack house facilities to store fruits and vegetables for export.

Other warehouses that were validated was a 1000 metric ton facility in Bulsa south to support rice farmers and an 80 metric ton facility in Navrongo.