The Rubber Farmers Association of Ghana (RUFAG) has described recent calls for a raw rubber export ban as false, self-serving, and harmful to the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of farmers.
Addressing a press conference, RUFAG said claims that unchecked raw rubber exports are costing Ghana up to US$100 million annually are unsubstantiated and misrepresent the realities of the industry.
According to the Association, raw rubber exports are fully regulated under the Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA) framework. A directive issued on May 2, 2025, requires all exporters of unprocessed rubber to be registered, licensed, and issued permits—a process strictly enforced by Customs, the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, and other security agencies.
RUFAG argued that calls for an export ban are not motivated by genuine industrialization concerns but by attempts by a few processing companies to monopolize the market and force farmers to sell at artificially low prices.
“Competition protects farmers. When competition is restricted, processors dictate prices, farmers suffer, and rural livelihoods collapse,” the Association stated.
The group emphasized that while rubber processing factories employ fewer than 1,000 workers nationwide, the rubber farming and trading ecosystem supports millions of Ghanaians, including over 300,000 tappers, 200,000 carriers and loaders, and thousands of smallholder farmers and transport operators.
RUFAG warned that any policy suppressing farm-gate prices would deepen rural poverty, worsen unemployment, and potentially push more youth into illegal mining activities.
On revenue losses, the Association questioned the alleged US$100 million figure, noting that exporters comply with statutory levies to the TCDA, while some processors allegedly do not. It also rejected claims that processor capacity is underutilized due to exports, arguing that low prices offered by processors discourage farmers from selling to them.
The Association criticized Ghana’s level of rubber processing, stating that most local processors merely convert cup lumps into Technically Specified Rubber (TSR), which is still exported as a primary commodity. True industrialization, RUFAG said, would require investment in finished products such as tyres, gloves, and medical supplies rather than protectionist policies.
RUFAG also accused Ghana Rubber Estates Limited (GREL) of “forum shopping” by repeatedly shifting complaints between state institutions without allowing investigations to conclude, undermining regulatory processes and farmer confidence.
The Association concluded by appealing to President John Dramani Mahama, Parliament, and relevant ministries to resist pressure for an export ban and instead strengthen regulation, transparency, and fair competition in the sector.
“The future of Ghana’s rubber industry lies in shared prosperity, not monopoly control,” RUFAG stated, adding that it remains open to dialogue with all stakeholders in the national interest.
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