Finance Minister, Dr Mohammed Amin Adam, has requested the approval of GH₵500 million from the Contingency Fund.

This is part of the emergency response measures to address the imminent food insecurity expected due to the dry spell experienced across eight regions of Ghana.

It comes days after President Akufo-Addo directed the Finance Ministry to raise GH₵8 billion relief package to assist farmers grappling with the devastating effects of the ongoing dry spell.

In a letter to Parliament’s Finance Committee, the Minister indicated that "considering that we are eight (8) months into the implementation of the 2024 Budget and the proposed interventions are unplanned expenditure occasioned by a "force majeure", Government cannot fund the request of GH¢8.36 billion solely from a reallocation of existing budget lines in the 2024 Budget."

• Read also: Finance Ministry directed to raise GH₵8bn to deal with dry spell

"In light of the foregoing, we write to request approval from the Finance Committee for the withdrawal of GH¢500 million from the Contingency Fund, in accordance with Article 177 subsection 1 of the 1992 Constitution, Section 36 subsection 1 of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921) as well as Section 227 subsection 1 of the Standing Orders of Parliament of Ghana."

This amount is expected to "complement this withdrawal, as government is mobilizing support from Development Partners as well as realigning approved fiscal operations in the 2024 Budget."

The Ministry explained that this National Emergency Response Programme will help government to institute measures needed to address the situation.

Government has already announced an immediate ban on the export of key grains, including maize, rice, and soybean.

During a press briefing on August 26, Minister for Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong said "this measure is essential to ensure the availability of these critical crops on the domestic market."

The decision comes on the heels of alarming reports revealing that 435,872 farmers have already lost an estimated GH₵3.5 billion in investment due to the prolonged dry conditions.