Minority raises alarm over raw rubber shortage, warns of job losses

Minority Members on Parliament’s Trade and Industry Committee have raised concerns over the shortage of raw rubber for local manufacturers, warning that the situation is posing a serious threat to industrial output and employment.

Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, the Ranking Member on the Committee, Michael Okyere Baafi, accused the Tree Crop Development Authority (TCDA) of prioritising exporters of raw rubber at the expense of domestic processors.

“Tree crop development is now siding with those who come to the farmgate to buy and export raw to the detriment of those who have established factories in Ghana, so they can’t even get rubber to process.

Mr Okyere Baafi noted that the persistent shortage of raw rubber has forced several manufacturing companies to reduce operations, leading to widespread job losses across the sector.

The Minority warned that unless urgent steps are taken to prioritise local manufacturers, the rubber processing industry could face further decline, with severe implications for employment and value addition in the sector.