ACCRA, GHANA — Ghana has banned the export of wheat, corn (maize) and rice to protect domestic supplies as the West African nation struggles with near-drought conditions.

Minister of Food and Agriculture Bryan Acheampong announced the ban on Aug. 26, saying the measure “is essential to ensure the availability of these critical crops on the domestic market.”

Effectively immediately, the ban will stay in place until “the situation normalizes,” the minister said.

Rainfall in north Ghana has been inconsistent the last two months and is down compared to last year, according to TRT Afrika. About 1.8 million hectares of land are at risk, it said.

The affected regions account for around 62% of Ghana’s annual grain supply, raising concern about a nationwide food shortage, the ministry said in a presentation.

Ghana was expected to export 15,000 tonnes of wheat in 2024-25, according to an April report from the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) of the US Department of Agriculture. Last year, it exported 12,000 tonnes.