We are not responsible for rising food prices in Ghana – Russia

The Russian Embassy in Ghana has called out the media for misreporting relative to causes of the rising food prices across the continent.

The embassy issued a June 30 statement titled: “Embassy’s commentary on the rise in food prices,” in which the stated their concerns over what they described as “the ongoing media campaign accusing the Russian side of rising food prices on the African continent.”

“The Ghanaian press continues to carbon-copy the Western mainstream trying to persuade local readers that the Russian special military operation in Ukraine is to blame for the increase in bread prices.”

It continued that, this misreporting discards the fact that food and energy process began to rise globally in early 2020 due to the systemic financial and economic missteps of the West during the coronavirus pandemic.

The statement cited statistics from the Food and Agricultural Organization, which pointed to the fact that grain production for this year was significantly higher than that of last year.

It stressed that contrary to Western propaganda, “the amount of grain on the market is greater than it was in previous years and trade volumes are also growing.”

The Embassy outlined four main reasons for the disruption of global supply chains, among others, the miscalculation of the West in forecasting its agricultural policy, global inflation brought on by recklessness of the West and energy issues the West is currently facing.

The statement further lamented what it said were illegitimate sanctions on Russia with the view to isolate the country but in the process tightening the global supply chain lines and hurting local economies – especially those in Africa.

Ghana’s economy has in recent times witnessed a downturn with government appointees admitting that the country was facing challenging times.

Many economists have also pointed to the rate of inflation, fuel price hikes, and general cost of living as the basis for the claim.

The government has however blamed the ravages of the Covid-19 and the Russia-Ukraine conflict for the country’s woes.