File photo of a rubber plantation
The Rubber Farmers Association of Ghana (RUFAG) has rejected claims that exports of raw rubber are unchecked and harmful to Ghana’s industrialisation agenda.
In a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency, the Association said calls for a complete ban on such exports were false and inimical to the livelihoods of farmers.
It said recent pronouncements by Ghana Rubber Estates Limited (GREL), the Rubber Processors Association of Ghana (RUPAG), the Western Regional House of Chiefs and the Ranking Member of Parliament’s Trade and Industry Committee, Mr Michael Okyere Baafi, did not reflect the realities of the industry.
The Association said allegations that raw rubber exports were “unchecked” and responsible for annual losses of up to US$100 million lacked credible evidence.
It explained that exports of unprocessed rubber were carried out under a regulated regime approved by Government and supervised by the Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA), Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority and other security agencies.
The association noted that a TCDA directive issued on May 2, 2025, required all exporters of unprocessed rubber, cashew and shea to be registered, licensed and issued permits before export, stressing that the directive was being strictly enforced under Act 1010 and the Tree Crops Regulations, 2023 (L.I. 2471).
“The narrative of unchecked exports is therefore entirely false,” the Association stated.
It argued that the push by processors for an export ban was aimed at monopolising the market and suppressing competition, leading to low farm‑gate prices.
The Association said while processing companies employed fewer than 1,000 workers combined, the farming and trading ecosystem sustained over 300,000 tappers, 200,000 carriers and loaders, 150,000 farm maintenance workers, tens of thousands of transport operators and more than two million dependents.
RUFAG said any policy that reduced competition would worsen rural poverty, unemployment and social instability in rubber‑growing communities.
It questioned claims that raw rubber exports deprived Government of revenue, noting that exporters complied with statutory levies payable to the TCDA, while some processors were allegedly in default.
The Association said Ghana lacked advanced rubber processing factories, explaining that most existing plants converted cup lumps into Technically Specified Rubber (TSR), which was still exported as a primary commodity.
It said that after more than five decades of operation, major processors had not transitioned into the manufacture of finished products such as tyres, gloves, or medical supplies.
RUFAG rejected claims that processors were unable to operate at full capacity due to raw material shortages, attributing the situation to low prices offered to farmers and labour shortages on processor‑owned plantations.
It cited payment delays by some processors, sometimes lasting weeks or months, contrasting this with prompt payments and better prices offered by exporters.
On legal matters, RUFAG said neither Act 1010 nor L.I. 2471 prohibited the export of raw rubber but empowered the TCDA to regulate exports through a permit system to ensure traceability and market balance.
The Association reiterated that it was not opposed to rubber processing but advocated fair competition, lawful regulation and inclusive growth that placed farmers at the centre of the industry.
It appealed to Government and the public to resist calls driven by narrow interests and pledged readiness to engage transparently with any committee or investigative body in the national interest.
“The future of Ghana’s rubber industry depends on fairness, transparency and shared prosperity, not monopoly control,” the statement said.
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