Ghana must deliver on rice self-sufficiency by 2028
Ghana’s ambition to achieve rice self-sufficiency by 2028 is one that deserves serious attention. For a country that spends about $500 million every year on rice imports, producing more of what we consume is not only an economic necessity but also a matter of food security.
The latest support for the rice sector provides a good opportunity to turn that ambition into reality.
More than 20,000 smallholder farmers are expected to benefit from an $18.8 million African Development Bank (AfDB) grant under the Regional West African Resilient Rice Value Chains (REWARD) Project.
The project will support rice production, improve farmers’ incomes and strengthen the entire rice value chain.
Japan has also provided an additional $2.5 million grant for machinery and equipment, including eight combine harvesters, trucks and 11 seed-cleaning machines.
These are significant investments. But money and machinery alone will not make Ghana self-sufficient in rice.
The government says milled rice production increased from about 650,000 tonnes in 2024 to 960,000 tonnes in 2025. Yet local production still meets only about 56 per cent of national demand.
That leaves a 44 per cent supply gap that must be closed if the 2028 target is to be achieved. This is where the real work begins.
Farmers must be placed at the centre of the programme.
They need timely access to quality seeds, machinery, extension services, financing and reliable markets.
It makes little sense to increase production if farmers cannot sell their produce at prices that make farming worthwhile.
The planned development of 3,200 hectares in the northern savannah ecological zone is encouraging. So, too, is the decision to equip seed centres and 10 strategically located rice processing centres.
The provision of storage facilities to reduce post-harvest losses is equally important.
But these facilities must work. Equipment must be maintained, properly distributed and made accessible to the farmers who need it.
The government’s decision to link rice import quotas to local investment is also worth watching closely.
Requiring importers to establish verifiable partnerships with local producers could help ensure that more of the value generated from the rice trade stays in Ghana.
The policy, however, must be implemented transparently and fairly.
It should encourage local production without creating unnecessary shortages or making rice unaffordable for ordinary consumers.
The Ghanaian Times sees this as an opportunity to build a stronger and more competitive rice industry, but achieving that goal will require firm government leadership and the active commitment of the private sector, financial institutions, processors, aggregators, farmer organisations and local authorities.
Above all, this programme must not become another promising initiative that loses momentum after its launch.
There must be clear targets, regular monitoring and accountability for the resources being invested.
Ghana has the farmers, land and growing capacity to produce much more rice. What is needed now is consistency, coordination and action.
The time for talking about rice self-sufficiency is over. The money is coming, the equipment is coming and the plans are in place. Now, Ghana must deliver.
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