By Alex Ababio
Ghana is reportedly spending nearly US$3 billion every year to import food, in spite of its rich agricultural potential, according to the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku. At the Africa Youth Day 2025 Ministerial Youth Dialogue in Accra, Mr. Opoku described the situation as “unacceptable for a country endowed with fertile land and a youthful population capable of transforming the sector into an engine of economic growth.”
Heavy Reliance on Imports Threatens National Development
The minister warned that Ghana’s import bill – spanning staples like poultry, vegetables, and even tomatoes – undermines not only food security but national development. He revealed that Ghana imports around US$400 million worth of tomatoes alone every year, despite having the capacity to cultivate the crop domestically in large volumes.
“How do we justify importing tomatoes and poultry when we have arable land and young people ready to work?” he challenged. “What is wrong with us? … We must rise to unlock our full agricultural potential.”
He also highlighted a shocking poultry production deficit: in 2022, Ghana produced only 15,000 metric tons, while the national demand was 324,000 metric tons. According to him, the overdependence on imports leaves the country vulnerable to external shocks and weakens domestic agriculture.
Youth, Agriculture, and the Promise of Transformation
Minister Opoku emphasized the critical role of young people in turning this situation around. With over 500,000 young Ghanaians entering the labor market annually, and only a fraction finding formal employment, he argued that agriculture offers the surest path for mass job creation and economic stability.
He issued a stark warning about unemployment across the continent: “Africa produces nine million unemployed youth every year. If the situation is not addressed, the future is calamitous,” he said. Opoku urged African nations to harness their agricultural resources — especially given that Africa holds 60 percent of the world’s uncultivated arable land.
Despite agriculture accounting for 38.3 percent of Ghana’s employment, the minister lamented that only 5 percent of youth are engaged in farming; the average farmer in Ghana is about 45 years old. He called this a “demographic imbalance” that must be addressed decisively if Ghana hopes to achieve food sovereignty.
To tackle this, Opoku announced a government campaign aimed at making agriculture more attractive to young people, emphasizing value addition and agribusiness development, rather than just subsistence farming.
The Economic Case: Agriculture as Wealth Creation
Minister Opoku didn’t stop at food security. He framed agriculture as a powerful tool for wealth creation. He noted that every dollar invested in agriculture yields up to $23 in return — making the sector about much more than just growing crops.
He also highlighted a missed opportunity: Africa captures only 5 percent of the US$130 billion global chocolate market, largely because it exports raw cocoa instead of processing it at scale. In his view, deliberate policies to promote youth-led agribusiness could help reverse these trends.
Structural Challenges of Ghana’s Food System
Soaring Food Imports, Limited Domestic Production
Recent data from the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) confirms that Ghana’s import dependence is growing. In 2024, food imports rose by GH₵12.2 billion to GH₵38.9 billion, while food exports increased by GH₵12.6 billion.
Yet despite the absolute growth in exports, the share of food exports declined by 2.4 percentage points, while food imports increased by 0.8 points, signaling that Ghana’s reliance on imported staples is intensifying.
According to the GSS, over 53.6 percent of all food product imports in Ghana come from just a few key categories — grains, meats, sugar, fats & oils, fish — demonstrating how concentrated and limited Ghana’s domestic production and processing capacity remains.
What Ghana Imports: The Breakdown
Data from GSS and other sources highlight the top import categories:
Product Value (2024) Share of Total Food Imports
Cereal grains (not rolled/flaked) GH₵ 3.37 billion ~8.6%
Animal guts, bladders, stomachs GH₵ 2.69 billion ~6.9%
Frozen poultry (offal, cuts) GH₵ 2.58 billion ~6.6%
Sugar (powdered/crystal) GH₵ 2.37 billion ~6.1%
Raw cocoa beans GH₵ 1.98 billion ~5.1%
Semi-milled or whole rice GH₵ ~ (see below)
According to the 24-Hour Economy Secretariat report, Ghana’s second-biggest food import in 2024 was “guts, bladders and stomachs of animals,” followed by “frozen cuts and offal of chicken.”
Furthermore, rice (semi-milled and broken) appears among the top import categories, as does shea oil (GH₵ 1.86 billion) and shea nuts (GH₵ 1.62 billion) — despite Ghana being a significant producer of shea.
Shockingly, nearly 46.6 percent of the total import bill is categorized under “All other food products,” which includes processed foods, specialty items, and value-added products.
Over-Reliance on Few Trading Partners
Another worry, according to the GSS, is that more than half of Ghana’s imports in major categories (grains, meat, sugar, fats & oils) come from just three countries. This geographic concentration creates vulnerability: any disruption in those supplier countries — due to political instability, logistical issues or price volatility — could drive a food crisis in Ghana.
The Hidden Costs: Beyond the Price Tag
Depleting Foreign Exchange Reserves & Inflation
Dr. Maxwell Ampong, a food security expert, argues that the real cost of cheap food imports is often hidden. While imported staples may appear affordable, they demand foreign currency (draining forex reserves), suppress local industries, and undermine employment.
He warns that this false price competitiveness weakens domestic value chains, especially in processing, storage, and distribution. And in the long run, food security isn’t just about yields — it’s about resilience.
In Ghana, food inflation remains a big problem. Data shows that as food imports rise, so does inflation. In May 2024, food inflation reached 22.6%, a major contributor to the country’s broader inflationary pressures.
Losses in Domestic Agriculture
Opoku and other policymakers have also pointed to post-harvest losses as a major drag on production. According to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), as much as 30% of Ghana’s agricultural output is lost after harvest, due to poor storage and inadequate processing infrastructure.
Government Response: Pathways to Reducing Dependence
Feed Ghana Programme
To address the persistent import problem, the government has launched the Feed Ghana Programme, under its broader Agriculture for Economic Transformation Agenda (AETA).
This initiative is designed to strengthen domestic food production by improving access to quality seeds, expanding irrigation, mechanizing farms, investing in processing infrastructure, and reducing post-harvest loss.
Global Partnerships & Innovative Financing
Ghana is also seeking alliances with international development partners to help reduce its $3 billion food import burden. At a press briefing organized by the 24-Hour Economy Secretariat, Charles Nornoo (Agri-Transformation Lead) emphasized collaboration between government, private sector and global institutions.
Tolu Kweku Lacroix, Executive Director of the United Nations Global Compact Ghana, announced that his organization is working to develop a policy framework to align Ghana’s national food sovereignty goals with global sustainability commitments.
Expert Analysis & Policy Recommendations
Rethink Food Security Beyond Yield
Dr. Maxwell Ampong argues that having a fertile land is not enough. “Food security is not just about producing more — it’s about processing, storing, and distributing in a way that supports our own economy,” he writes.
He suggests that Ghana needs to internalize the true cost of cheap imports, which often externalize social and economic costs.
Structural Reforms in Agricultural Policy
According to policy commentator Seidu Agongo, accelerating Ghana’s transition to self-sufficient agriculture requires bold, sustained reforms. He recommends:
1. Supporting poultry farmers: Only about 5% of Ghana’s poultry needs are met locally. Small-scale farmers need technical assistance, financing, and access to feed production to scale up.
2. Reviving livestock and meat processing: Rather than importing meat and offal, Ghana should invest in cattle, sheep, and pig farming, plus meat processing and value chain infrastructure.
3. Expanding agro-processing: Investing in processing infrastructure (e.g., for cassava, maize, soybeans) and supporting food entrepreneurs will help reduce imports of processed foods.
4. Scaling irrigation: Only about 11,000 hectares of farmland in Ghana are currently under irrigation. Agongo says expanding water management—using drip irrigation and solar-powered pumps—can boost yields year-round.
5. Harnessing youth: With a large young population, Ghana can create youth-led agritech startups and offer training, financing, and technology to empower them in agribusiness.
The Stakes: Food Sovereignty, Jobs, and Economic Resilience
Ghana’s food import crisis is not just a trade issue — it is a profound national security and development challenge. The reliance on foreign food undermines local agriculture, drains foreign reserves, fuels inflation, and undercuts the economic empowerment of Ghana’s youth. Minister Opoku’s call for a youth-led agribusiness revolution is not just rhetorical — it is rooted in the urgent need to restructure the economy, reduce exposure to global shocks, and build a resilient food system.
If Ghana can scale up production, improve value chains, reduce post-harvest losses, and invest in its young people, the US$3 billion import bill could be dramatically lowered — freeing up resources for real domestic development. The government’s Feed Ghana Programme and its partnerships with global institutions offer promising levers, but success will depend on sustained political will, private-public collaboration, and meaningful inclusion of youth in agriculture.