Ghana’s food import bill surged by GH¢12.2 billion in 2024, bringing total food imports to GH¢38.9 billion, according to the Ghana Statistical Service’s annual trade report. The increase came despite strong growth in food exports, which rose by GH¢12.6 billion to GH¢46.1 billion during the same period.
While the country maintained a positive food trade balance, the continued rise in food imports, especially of grains, meat, sugar, and edible oils, has raised fresh concerns about the dependency on foreign food supply and the resilience of domestic agriculture.
The top food imports in 2024 included:
Cereal grains (GH¢3.4 billion)
Animal parts, including offal and guts (GH¢2.7 billion)
Frozen poultry (GH¢2.6 billion)
Sugar (GH¢2.4 billion)
Rice (GH¢3.0 billion from combined varieties)
Together, these five categories accounted for more than a quarter of all food imports.
Meanwhile, cocoa products continued to dominate Ghana’s food exports. Cocoa beans alone generated GH¢14.9 billion, with an additional GH¢6.6 billion from cocoa paste and GH¢3.2 billion from cocoa butter. Other leading food exports included cashew nuts (GH¢2.7 billion), tuna (GH¢2.2 billion), and shea oil.
Although food exports outpaced imports in value, the structure of imports reveals weaknesses in Ghana’s food production and processing capacity. Grains, meats, and sugar, staples that could be produced domestically, remain heavily imported.
The data points to a growing mismatch between Ghana’s export strengths and its domestic consumption needs. While the country excels in high-value exports like cocoa and cashew, it continues to rely on imports for everyday staples, exposing consumers to currency fluctuations and global food price shocks.
The report also noted that just three countries accounted for more than half of Ghana’s imports in grains, cereals, meats, fats and oils, and sugar, making the supply chain vulnerable to external disruptions.
The rising import bill calls for renewed investment in food production, processing, and storage, particularly in cereals, livestock, and sugar refining. Without these measures, Ghana’s progress in food exports may be offset by mounting import costs and long-term risks to food security.
