Elizabetth Ofosu- Adjare, Trade, Agribusiness and Industry Minister has pledged to push policy reforms aimed at strengthening local agribusiness, after industry leaders warned that import competition, high electricity costs and expensive credit are eroding domestic production and investment.
The commitment followed a roundtable held at the ministry in Accra, where chief executives and representatives across the value chain, including rice, poultry, maize, horticulture, processing, exports, banking and input supply, outlined constraints they say are limiting growth.
The minister said government is prioritising fair competition, stronger enforcement of import rules and improved access to financing, as it positions agribusiness as a pillar of industrialisation, job creation and food security. She said the expansion of the ministry’s mandate to include agribusiness reflects President John Dramani Mahama’s strategy to make the sector a driver of economic transformation.
Executives at the meeting raised concerns about what they described as unfair competition from imports, including products entering the market at prices local firms struggle to match. Industry participants cited rice, poultry, soya and maize as particularly exposed, saying imported products often benefit from tax incentives while domestic producers face higher production and tax burdens.
Some participants said surges in imports have led to unsold local produce, squeezing farmer incomes and discouraging investment across supply chains.
The minister acknowledged the concerns and said government would engage relevant agencies to review the import licensing regime, particularly in the poultry sector, to better protect domestic industry while remaining consistent with regional and international commitments.
On financing, she linked high borrowing costs partly to weak repayment patterns in the sector, arguing that banks will only lower rates when agribusiness firms build a stronger record of honoring obligations.
“If we want cheaper financing, we must make it affordable by paying back what we borrow,” she said, adding that improved repayment would encourage banks to lend more to the sector at better rates.
The minister also said the government is open to consulting industry players ahead of new tax measures, stressing that predictability is essential for business planning. She argued that reasonable tax rates, rather than excessive levies, would improve compliance and ultimately boost revenue.
“We want Made in Ghana to be synonymous with quality,” she said, urging manufacturers to improve consistency and standards.
Beyond trade and financing, agribusiness executives flagged rising insecurity on farmlands linked to sand winning, poor infrastructure, and inconsistencies in policy implementation. The minister said issues such as sand winning would be escalated for targeted intervention with ministries responsible for lands, natural resources and local government.
She also acknowledged the pressure from high power tariffs and unreliable supply, saying government will continue engaging the Electricity Company of Ghana while encouraging alternative energy options, including solar, to reduce production costs.
According to the minister, government intends to strengthen linkages between farmers and industry through aggregation, commercial contracting and coordinated production planning, in an effort to reduce gluts, stabilise prices and protect farmer livelihoods.
The meeting ended with an agreement to sustain dialogue as the ministry finalises an Agribusiness Policy for Cabinet consideration.
