Agricultural input costs and shortages threaten farming production

Agricultural producers in Ghana and Bangladesh are facing significant challenges due to rising input costs and supply shortages, threatening local food security.

In Ghana, Daniel Fahene Acquaye, CEO of Agri-Impact Group, warned that high fertiliser prices are squeezing farmer margins. He noted that when production costs rise while market prices remain stagnant, farmers may reduce cultivated acreage or invest less in inputs to limit financial exposure. Such widespread reductions could decrease local food volumes and increase reliance on imports.

In Bangladesh, a disconnect has emerged between government claims of adequate fertiliser reserves and the reality faced by farmers. Despite official reports of sufficient stocks for the Aman cultivation season, farmers in districts like Kurigram and Magura report acute shortages and inflated prices. In Kurigram, tensions escalated when farmers staged a road blockade following a dealer's failure to issue supplies, requiring intervention from police and border guards to restore order and distribute fertiliser under armed guard.