Cassava remains one of Ghana’s most important agricultural commodities, playing a crucial role in food security while offering significant potential in global agro-industrial markets. Yet, despite its strong production base, the country’s footprint in the international cassava trade remains relatively modest compared to its production capacity.
Ghana is among the world’s leading producers of cassava. Recent data indicate that national output reached about 27.9 million metric tonnes in 2024, placing the country among the top producers globally and fourth in the world by production volume.
Globally, cassava production is estimated at roughly 330 million tonnes annually, making the crop one of the most widely cultivated staples in tropical regions and a major carbohydrate source for hundreds of millions of people.
This means Ghana accounts for roughly 8 percent of global cassava production, highlighting its strong agricultural position in the crop’s value chain.
Within the domestic economy, cassava plays a particularly central role. The crop engages more than 70 percent of Ghanaian farmers. It contributes an estimated 22 percent of agricultural GDP, reflecting what industry analysts describe as a “foundation crop” within the country’s food system.
Despite this scale of production, Ghana’s participation in international cassava trade remains limited. Export revenues from cassava products were estimated at US$51 million in 2023, ranking the country 12th among global exporters.
In physical trade terms, export volumes are relatively small. Data show Ghana exported just over 102 tonnes of cassava products in 2023, mainly to regional markets and a few international destinations, including the United States and parts of Europe.
Industry analysts say the disparity between production and exports reflects the crop’s heavy domestic consumption and structural constraints across the value chain. Large volumes are processed into traditional foods such as gari, fufu, and cassava dough, leaving limited surplus for international trade.
At the same time, weak processing capacity and inconsistent quality standards have been identified as major barriers to export expansion. Experts frequently highlight the need for what policymakers describe as “value-added infrastructure” and a “robust quality assurance system” to enable Ghanaian cassava products to meet international specifications.
Globally, the cassava industry is evolving beyond food consumption into industrial applications, including starch, animal feed, ethanol, and gluten-free flour. Market estimates suggest the global cassava industry is valued at about US$5.6 billion, driven by demand for starch derivatives and alternative flour products.
Within that market, Ghana’s cassava economy is estimated at approximately US$760 million, accounting for around 14 percent of the regional cassava market across Africa and the Middle East.
The structure of the global market also reveals the competitive landscape Ghana faces. Countries such as Nigeria, Thailand, and the Democratic Republic of Congo dominate both production and processing, with Thailand in particular emerging as a major exporter of cassava chips and starch for industrial uses.
Analysts maintain that Ghana’s opportunity lies in shifting from raw production to higher-value derivatives. The development of starch processing plants, industrial flour production, and cassava-based bio-products could significantly increase export volumes.
Agricultural experts say that while Ghana has achieved strong output growth, unlocking the full economic value of the crop will depend on “industrial-scale processing,” “market standardisation,” and “stronger export logistics” to position cassava as a viable foreign-exchange earner.
