The Rubber Processors Association of Ghana (RUPAG) has dismissed claims that the government’s temporary ban on raw rubber exports is depriving farmers, traders and aggregators of markets, insisting the policy is strengthening Ghana’s local processing industry rather than creating monopolies.

In a statement issued on Monday, July 13, the association said recent reports suggesting the export restriction has harmed stakeholders in the rubber value chain are “not supported by evidence.”

According to RUPAG, local rubber processors purchased about 30,967 tonnes of raw rubber between January and June 2026, with 13,431 tonnes sourced from traders and aggregators and 17,535 tonnes bought directly from farmers.

The association said purchases from traders and aggregators rose significantly after the export ban was announced, increasing from 534 tonnes in April to 2,028 tonnes in May and 3,131 tonnes in June.

It added that purchases from traders and aggregators during the first half of 2026 increased by 124 percent compared with the same period in 2025, while direct purchases from farmers also rose by about 12 percent.

“The evidence directly contradicts suggestions that the export ban has destroyed market opportunities,” the association stated.

RUPAG’s response follows concerns raised by some industry players who argued that the temporary export ban could reduce competition and negatively affect farmers and traders.

Addressing allegations that local processors are refusing to buy rubber and are creating monopolistic conditions, the association said it had requested evidence from trader and aggregator associations on July 6, but had yet to receive any documentation to support the claims.

It argued that national industrial policies should be guided by verifiable evidence rather than unsubstantiated allegations.

The association further defended the export restriction as a key measure to support the government’s industrialisation agenda and the 24-Hour Economy Policy.

It said Ghana’s natural rubber production remains below the country’s installed processing capacity, making continued exports of raw rubber economically unjustifiable.

According to RUPAG, Ghana produced approximately 110,800 tonnes of natural rubber in 2025 against an installed processing capacity of about 171,460 tonnes, leaving a deficit of more than 60,000 tonnes and factory utilisation at only 41 percent.

The association also projected that processing rubber locally rather than exporting it in raw form could generate an additional US$1.36 billion in foreign exchange earnings between 2026 and 2031, while preventing an estimated GHS326 million in lost tax revenue over the same period.

RUPAG noted that countries including Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia and Nigeria have adopted policies aimed at promoting domestic processing and value addition in their rubber industries.

It therefore urged all stakeholders including farmers, traders, aggregators, processors and government agencies to work together to build a competitive rubber industry while supporting Ghana’s industrialisation drive.