In its latest assessment of the 2025 budget, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) of Ghana has questioned why the agricultural sector, which employs a significant portion of the population and is central to the country’s food security, continues to receive disproportionately low budgetary allocations compared to other sectors.
The TUC’s response comes as the nation grapples with soaring food inflation and deepening food insecurity. As of February 2025, food inflation stood at 28.1%, significantly higher than the 18.8% recorded for non-food inflation, according to the Ghana Statistical Service. For many Ghanaians, this means rising costs for basic staples such as plantain, rice, maize, cooking oil, and vegetables, putting immense strain on household budgets—particularly for lower-income families where food expenditures already consume nearly 45% of income.
Despite these concerning figures, the TUC has also pointed out a worrying development – the 2025 budget allocated just GH₵2.9 billion to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, reflecting a 20.8% increase from the previous year. While this may seem like a step forward, the TUC stresses that it is still far from sufficient when compared to other ministries. For instance, the Ministry of Defence saw a 64% increase in its budget, and the Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology, and Innovation received a 43% boost in funding over the same period.
“This disparity in allocations is striking, especially considering the crucial role agriculture plays in national development,” the TUC said in its response. “We cannot reset Ghana’s economy on an empty stomach. Without sufficient investment in agriculture, we will continue to import food at high costs and struggle with food price inflation that erodes the purchasing power of Ghanaians.”
The TUC also drew attention to the systemic issues that have plagued Ghana’s agricultural sector for over a decade, with inadequate funding contributing to the country’s reliance on food imports despite having vast arable land and a large unemployed youth population.
As the TUC pointed out, Ghana’s ability to achieve the rapid industrialisation outlined in the 2025 budget is contingent upon revitalising the agricultural sector. Without it, any industrialisation effort risks being unsustainable and dependent on foreign raw materials.
With food insecurity already a pressing issue, exacerbated by erratic rainfall patterns, the TUC called for a fundamental shift in the country’s budget priorities.
“We need heavy investments in agriculture to address these challenges. Government must ramp up its support for farming, not just through slogans like ‘Agriculture for Economic Transformation’ but through tangible financial backing that directly impacts food production, food price stability, and poverty reduction,” the TUC stated.
In its final call, the TUC urged the government to reconsider its budget allocations, pointing out that food security is not just an agricultural issue, but a cornerstone of national security, economic stability, and social well-being. A stronger agriculture sector, they argued, is a necessary condition for a thriving economy and a stable, prosperous Ghana.
