The Ghana Chamber of Agribusiness has welcomed the government’s decision to scrap 20% excise duty on locally manufactured fruit juices, describing it as a bold intervention that could breathe new life into the country’s struggling fruit processing industry.
Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber, Anthony Morrison, praised President John Dramani Mahama and Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson for what he described as a timely policy move that addresses one of the key constraints facing local fruit processors and exporters.
Speaking after the announcement in the 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review, Anthony Morrison said the removal of the tax has the potential to revive Ghana’s once-thriving pineapple industry, boost exports and stimulate employment across the agricultural value chain.
According to him, Ghana has gradually lost its dominance in pineapple production and exports, allowing neighbouring Benin to overtake it as Africa’s leading producer.
“If you can recall, we have lost our competitive advantage when it comes to pineapple. Benin, as small as they are, are the biggest pineapple producer now in Africa. Before COVID, we were the biggest exporter. Now we’ve lost the entire pineapple industry. We only have two commercial farms left,” he lamented.
He believes the tax removal will make locally processed fruit products more competitive, encourage investment and create renewed demand for fruits produced by Ghanaian farmers.
Beyond pineapple, the CEO of the Chamber said the policy could provide a much-needed boost for mango processing, cashew factories, fruit juice manufacturing and dried fruit production, creating jobs while strengthening the country’s agro-processing ecosystem.
“If you are talking about creating jobs- jobs at the very physical level that support local economies, these are the areas you can count on,” he said.
He noted that expanding value addition through agro-processing offers one of the most practical ways to generate sustainable employment, increase farmers’ incomes and reduce dependence on raw commodity exports.
While commending the government, the Agribusiness Chamber CEO urged policymakers to ensure that the benefits of improving macroeconomic conditions are felt by farmers and agribusinesses, stressing that stronger economic indicators must ultimately translate into better opportunities and higher incomes across the agricultural sector.
