Ghana’s Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, has publicly challenged the country’s reliance on imported poultry, highlighting that the nation spends approximately US$200 million annually on chicken imports. Speaking in an interview with MyJoyOnline after presenting the 2027 Budget to Parliament, Forson argued that this significant financial outflow could be redirected toward strengthening the domestic agricultural sector. He suggested that Ghana’s abundant land and water resources, combined with a youthful population, provide a competitive advantage that is currently underutilized.
Forson emphasized that the existing model of peasant agriculture is insufficient to meet the country’s growing food demands. He proposed that local production of maize and soybeans could serve as the foundation for a robust domestic poultry industry, thereby reducing the need for foreign supplies. The minister noted that Ghana’s total annual food import bill stands at roughly US$3.5 billion, a figure he described as unsustainable. He extended his concerns beyond poultry, noting that the country also spends hundreds of millions of dollars on vegetables and relies on neighboring Burkina Faso for onions and tomatoes.
In addition to addressing food imports, Forson discussed strategies to enhance value addition within Ghana’s cocoa sector. He criticized the longstanding practice of exporting raw cocoa beans, which allows other countries to capture the benefits of processing. To change this dynamic, Forson pointed to a new Cocoa Board Act that mandates 50% local processing of cocoa. He indicated that a legislative instrument would establish a timeline to achieve 100% local processing by 2030. This shift aims to ensure that more economic benefits remain within Ghana rather than being exported alongside raw materials.
Discussions regarding industrial capacity have already begun with major investors. Forson revealed that he has held talks with Dangote, a prominent industrialist, about using Ghana as a hub for cocoa processing. The proposed investment involves processing 500,000 metric tonnes of cocoa locally. According to MyJoyOnline, the parties are currently reviewing the terms of a proposed contract to facilitate this initiative. These developments reflect the government’s broader strategy to modernize agriculture and reduce dependence on foreign food supplies through targeted industrial investments and regulatory reforms.