Audio By Carbonatix The Deputy CEO of the National Food Buffer Stock Company has acknowledged that while the supply of non-perishable food items remains stable, persistent challenges with perishables continue to disrupt meals in secondary schools. Osmond Amuah, speaking on JoyNews' PM Express, said the situation is improving but not fully resolved. “We are just happy, from a buffer stock perspective, that this matter seems to be finding a solution,” he noted, pointing to recent efforts to stabilise the system. He explained that the core of the problem lies in how schools procure perishable items such as vegetables. “At the head of the matter is perishables, which the schools themselves procure,” he said, contrasting this with the structured system for non-perishables, where Buffer Stock and the Ghana Commodity Exchange provide support. According to him, Buffer Stock supplies 18 categories of non-perishable items, including both pre-packed and raw produce. The agency, though government-owned, operates as a limited-liability entity and leverages private-sector financing to ensure consistent deliveries. “We’ve been able to bridge finance for the private sector to do the deliveries on your behalf,” he said, adding that suppliers can hold stock without immediate pressure because the goods are non-perishable. That reliability, however, does not extend to fresh food. “However, you cannot cook when you don’t have vegetables,” Mr Amuah stressed, underscoring the practical consequences for schools. He pointed directly to delayed payments for perishables as a major trigger of the disruptions. “Whatever problems that persist… due to the lack of payment for perishables that they’ve already consumed, it means the students cannot feed,” he said, warning that students must remain “at the heart of everything that is going on.” Mr Amuah rejected suggestions of deliberate delays, attributing the problem instead to structural and regulatory constraints. “I do not think that the delay in perishables is deliberate on anybody’s part,” he said, citing procurement challenges and audit concerns. He also highlighted rising enrolment as an added strain on the system. “Student population at the secondary level is growing… the enrollment of SS one alone is in excess of 300,000 students,” he said, noting that funding has not kept pace with demand. DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited. Tags: National Food and Buffer Stock Company DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited. Related to this story Food Suppliers suspend picketing at the Buffer Stock Company over unpaid debt Buffer Stock Company confirms improvement in food security, but warns of insecurity in urban areas Latest Stories ‘Weakening the Watchdog?’ – GLOSARGG warns against Quo Warranto OSP9 minutes Buffer Stock holds the line, but perishables expose cracks in school feeding chain – Deputy CEO10 minutes Coalition of unpaid teachers protests arrears payment gap from 2023 to July 202412 minutes Ashanti West ECG appeals to residents to help protect poles, cables and transformers18 minutes No vegetables means no meals – Buffer Stock on SHS food shortage22 minutes CBG organises free health screening for residents in Kanda community36 minutes Today’s Front pages: Tuesday, April 21, 202649 minutes CCC 2026 Spirit of Revival with Rev Eastwood Anaba set to renew purpose and faith among congregants1 hour MyHelp–YourHelp Foundation donates GH¢85K worth of relief items to Nsawam Female Prison2 hours Chamber of Mines rejects ‘colonial relic’ claim, defends Ghana’s mining fiscal regime2 hours NSA, Absa partner to roll out overdraft lifeline for National Service Personnel2 hours Ghana finalizes strategic roadmap for Dakar 2026 Youth Olympics2 hours AltAir Logistics unveils most affordable and value-packed packages for World Cup 2026 2 hours Ahmed Ibrahim warns contractors against shoddy work on 24-Hour Economy market projects2 hours Construction of 20-kilometre Adankwame-Ntensere road to be completed soon – Atwima Nwabiagya North MP2 hours