Govt to ban commercial rice imports by 2030

The government has announced plans to prohibit commercial rice imports by the end of 2030 as part of an ambitious strategy to achieve self-sufficiency in rice production and reduce the country’s dependence on imported food.

Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson said the government would begin linking rice import licences to purchases from verified Ghanaian farmers and millers from 2027.

Presenting the 2028 Government Budget and Economic Plan to Parliament, he said the proportion of locally purchased rice would increase as domestic production expanded, while import quotas would gradually decline.

He said the decision to prohibit commercial rice imports would be supported by increased domestic production, milling capacity, storage facilities, quality assurance and reliable distribution systems.

The government is also planning to establish rice development hubs in the Volta Basin, Western Ghana and Northern Ghana to organise production around irrigation, mechanisation, modern mills, silos, packaging and logistics.

The hubs are expected to bring an additional 100,000 hectares under rice cultivation, with targeted yields of between five and six metric tonnes per hectare.

The initiative is also expected to support approximately 125,000 jobs.

Dr Forson said targeted tax incentives would be introduced for investments in irrigation, mechanisation, storage, milling and logistics to reduce production costs and post-harvest losses.

Local procurement

In another measure to stimulate domestic demand, the government plans to amend the Public Procurement Laws to require public institutions, including schools and hospitals, to purchase locally grown rice and other staple foods with public funds.

The Minister said the measure would provide a reliable market for Ghanaian farmers while ensuring that government expenditure supported domestic production and employment.

He explained that the government intended to ensure that money spent on food procurement translated into economic opportunities for local farmers, millers and other businesses along the agricultural value chain.

The government is also pursuing self-sufficiency in sugar production by 2030 through irrigated production zones, nucleus estates, organised outgrowers and commercially viable mills.

Import permits and quotas for sugar are expected to decline as verified domestic production increases.

The proposed interventions form part of the government’s wider commercial agriculture programme, which seeks to reduce food imports, strengthen agro-processing and create employment.