Ghana’s persistently high food prices may finally ease if government delivers on its ambitious plan to improve agricultural enclave roads, according to the President of the Vegetable Producers and Exporters Association of Ghana (VePEAG), Dr Felix Mawuli Kamassah.
Speaking to The High Street Journal, Dr Kamassah said the road investments announced in the 2026 Budget are the most promising intervention for the food and vegetable sector. He stressed that poor road infrastructure in food-producing communities remains one of the biggest hidden drivers of inflation, forcing farmers to pass rising transport costs onto consumers.
He warned that until farm roads improve, farmers will continue to factor high logistics expenses into prices, keeping market costs elevated even during periods of strong harvests.
Why Bad Roads Keep Food Prices High
Dr Kamassah explained that much of Ghana’s fresh produce comes from remote communities where the road network is severely deteriorated. Moving crops from the farm to the nearest accessible roadside often requires tricycles or motor carts that charge high fees because of the rough terrain.
“By the time the aboboyaa moves plantain or vegetables from the farm to the roadside, the cost has already doubled,” he said. “Drivers do not want to get close to where the produce is coming from because the roads are too bad. So the farmer pays more, and to avoid making losses, he passes that cost straight to the consumer.”
The result is a steady cost build-up across the value chain that eventually appears in market prices in urban centres such as Accra, Kumasi and Takoradi.
Budget 2026: A New Focus on Roads That Feed the Nation
The Finance Minister cited poor feeder roads as a major cause of food inflation and announced a three-year programme to construct one thousand kilometres of agricultural enclave roads.
The Department of Feeder Roads will build roads that connect directly to food-producing zones to ensure that produce moves efficiently from farms to markets. The goal is to reduce transport costs, cut post-harvest losses and improve national food security.
For Dr Kamassah, this shift in priority from mostly cocoa roads to a broader network of food-basket roads is a welcome development.
“If government really completes these roads, food prices will go down. Transporters will charge less and farmers will finally get fair value for their work,” he noted.
He said VePEAG is already tracking some of the roads highlighted in the budget and expressed hope that timely execution will bring meaningful relief to both farmers and consumers.
Mechanisation: Farmers Need the Machines Early and On Time
Beyond roads, Dr Kamassah welcomed the budget’s commitment to provide agriculture machinery to fifty districts, with more than four thousand pieces of equipment expected under Farmer Service Centres.
He stressed that access to mechanisation is a major constraint in vegetable production.
“When farmers do not get tractors or mechanisation services early in the season, they lose time and money. The machines government promised must come early and be delivered on time,” he said.
Mechanisation delays reduce yields and increase production costs, contributing again to higher food prices.
Irrigation: Climate Change Is Making Rainfall Unpredictable
The VePEAG President also highlighted irrigation as essential in stabilising food supply and reducing price volatility. Ghana’s rainfall patterns have become increasingly unpredictable, disrupting planting cycles and reducing yields.
The budget commits to scaling up irrigation infrastructure, including rehabilitating existing sites under the Ghana Irrigation Development Authority.
“If we irrigate the land we already have, production will go up and food prices will come down. We cannot depend on rain-fed farming anymore,” Dr Kamassah said.
He added that many GIDA irrigation sites have deteriorated but could quickly boost production if rehabilitated.
Exporters’ View: Improved Local Supply Strengthens International Competitiveness
As head of an export association, Dr Kamassah observed that stable and affordable production costs will not only benefit domestic consumers but will also strengthen Ghana’s competitiveness in international fresh-vegetable markets.
High domestic logistics costs often limit Ghana’s ability to match export prices from countries such as Kenya or Morocco.
“Fixing roads and irrigation gives farmers stability. If production costs fall, we become more competitive internationally too,” he stated.
The Bigger Picture: Food Prices, Farmers’ Costs and Ghana’s Inflation Story
Food inflation remains a major contributor to Ghana’s cost of living. Analysts have long argued that poor roads, inefficient logistics and post-harvest losses are as responsible for high food prices as weather conditions or input shortages.
Dr Kamassah’s remarks reinforce this: inflation begins where the road ends.
With government now committing to targeted investments in roads, mechanisation and irrigation, VePEAG believes Ghana is better positioned to tackle one of its most persistent economic challenges.
But Dr Kamassah emphasised that delivery will determine impact.
“We are happy with the budget,” he said. “But what matters is that the roads, the machines and the irrigation facilities are built on time. That is what will reduce food prices for the ordinary Ghanaian.”
