The Chamber of Agribusiness Ghana (CAG) has presented a far‑reaching 20‑year agricultural strategy that it says could help Ghana break its heavy reliance on imported food and build a more resilient domestic farming sector.
The proposed Ghana National Agricultural Transformation Strategy (GNATS 2026–2045) sets out a long‑term vision to expand production, create jobs, boost exports and cut the nation’s food import bill, which has grown significantly in recent years. The Chamber believes sustained planning and investment are essential to tackling structural weaknesses in the sector.
According to data from the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), Ghana’s food import bill reached about GH¢38.9 billion in 2024, up by over GH¢12 billion from the previous year, driven by imports of rice, grains, sugar, poultry and other staples. Imported foods now make up more than half of the country’s total food supply.
Government officials have indicated that in 2025, the food import bill remains around $3 billion annually, underscoring that Ghana continues to rely heavily on imported staples even as domestic production struggles to meet demand.
CAG says the lack of a long-term plan has left local farmers unable to meet domestic demand, with consumers increasingly dependent on foreign markets for staples that could be grown or processed in Ghana.
Under the Chamber’s strategy, agricultural gross domestic product could climb from around $14 billion today to more than $40 billion by 2045, while exports could exceed $10 billion annually. The plan also envisions the creation of more than two million quality jobs and a potential reduction in the food import bill by up to 70 per cent if local production and processing are dramatically expanded.
“For too long, Ghana’s agricultural sector has been governed by 3–5-year programmes that align with political cycles rather than agricultural development timelines,” said Anthony Morrison, President of the Chamber. “While some programmes have achieved short-term production increases, they have failed to deliver the fundamental transformation our sector desperately needs.”
“We spend over 2.5 billion dollars annually importing food we could produce, our farmers remain poor, youth flee agriculture, and we lag behind countries that made long-term strategic commitments decades ago,” Morrison added.
The Chamber’s proposal includes a $30 billion investment plan to mobilize resources from government, private investors, development partners and innovative financing mechanisms.
According to the report cited by Channel one news, “No country has achieved genuine agricultural transformation through short-term programmes.” It adds that successful agricultural economies are built on “sustained commitment to long-term strategic frameworks maintained across political cycles for 15–30 years.”
Highlighting the comprehensive nature of the plan, the Director of Policy and Research at the Chamber said: “We’re not just calling for another policy document. We’re proposing a comprehensive framework with clear investment priorities, realistic financing mechanisms, and strong governance structures to ensure implementation and continuity across political administrations.”
