Credible information from the grapevine has it that the National Food Buffer Stock Company (Nafco) is making plans to supply food to the underprivileged in the Ghanaian society in the event of a lockdown.
A supply system, the Ghana Talks Business has learned, is being developed for the food distribution.
Again, according to the information, the Food Buffer Stock Company is working assiduously to produce some essential goods to add to what it already have in stock and ready for supply, should the country decide to restrict people from leaving their homes as a measure to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease.
Lockdown or no lockdown
Since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in Ghana, many measures have been rolled out by the Government to prevent the spread of the viral covid-19, but they situation keeps getting scarier as the recorded cases continue to surge.
To mitigate the spread, many experts and professional associations such as the Ghana Medical Association, the Trades Unions Congress, among others, have called for a lockdown of the country.
But with the majority of the country’s population living in abject poverty, a lockdown will mean the deprivation or suspension of the source of livelihood for these people for only God knows how long.
Recognizing the apparent consequences of the lockdown to the vulnerable in society coupled with Ghana’s lack of adequate resources to provide financial packages to cushion the majority have nots, the Government says a lockdown will only happen if there is no better alternative on the table.
However, it is worthy to note that as at the time of filing this report, rumour was rife that government will announce a partial lockdown
Ghana doesn’t have enough food buffer
Last Monday, March 23, 2020, the General Secretary of the General Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU), Mr Edward Kareweh, while contributing to a discussion on the ‘Business Focus’ show on TV3, remarked that Ghana does not have enough food buffer stocked to avert a possible famine that may occur due to the uncertainties surrounding the end in sight of the virus.
He adds that the country may be hit with a food crisis should the covid-19 deadly disease prolong, adding that there is an urgent need for duty bearers to start thinking about how to address the issue of acute food shortages that the country is currently facing.
Ghana’s situation with Covid-19
Ghana’s case is getting scarier by the minute, considering the rate of infection as compared to countries like Italy, Spain, the UK and the US.
So far, the country has recorded 136 case, including 3 deaths and one recovery, as the last update this morning, March 27, 2020.
Meanwhile, measures to tackle the spread of Coronavirus has led to a daily increase in panic buying and hoarding of food items on the market.
This has led to an irregular hike in the price of food items on the market by traders across the country trying to cash in on the situation.
However, commenting on the hikes in food prices in the country, occasioned by the surge in panic-buying, Mr Kareweh opined that what is going on in the markets is an issue of demand and supply, adding however that he expects the Nafco to flood the markets with food produce to change the situation.
But he adds that “very soon we will realise the reality as to whether they can release those stock for us to bring down the prices and also make the food available”, he said.
Certainly, Mr Kareweh adds, “we are going to run into crisis if we are unable to deal with the situation immediately”.
