The Ghana Commodity Exchange (GCX) has revealed a notable decline in trading activity for 2023, with total trade value falling to GH₵11.3 million. This marks a 45% decrease from GH₵20.7 million in 2022.This downturn, highlighted in the 2023 Financial Stability Review, emphasizes the economic and environmental hurdles confronting Ghana's agricultural market.

GCX facilitates trade in various commodities, including maize, soybeans, sorghum, sesame, rice, and cashews. The overall decline is attributed to macroeconomic instability and adverse climate conditions, which have both affected price dynamics and market performance.The number of contracts traded on the exchange also saw a significant reduction, with only 2,206 contracts executed in 2023—a 36% decrease compared to the prior year.

Moreover, trading volume drastically fell from 5,585.26 metric tonnes in 2022 to just 2,488.17 metric tonnes in 2023.Despite this overall downturn, maize remained the leading commodity, comprising 93% of the total trade volume and witnessing a 22% increase in transactions, contrasting with the general decline in other areas.

Amid these challenging figures, the GCX Graded Commodity Index (GCX-GCI) exhibited resilience, concluding the year with a yield of 7.14%. This index tracks the prices and returns of graded maize and soybeans across eight delivery centers, supported by stable infrastructure and consistent warehouse capacity over the last three years.

Supporting initiatives like the Commodity Aggregation Development Fund (CADeF) and the GCX Aggregation Support Scheme (GASS) have been instrumental in enhancing trade activity.These programs provide critical funding to commodity aggregators, allowing them to procure directly from smallholder farmers and boosting market liquidity—an essential factor for sustaining the sector during these tough times.