Ghana To Prohibit Commercial Rice Imports By End Of 2030 – Ato Forson

Story By: Zainab Ali

Ghana is expected to end commercial rice imports by December 2030, as the government intensifies efforts to increase local rice production and reduce the country’s dependence on imported food products.

Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson announced the policy during the presentation of the 2027 Budget Statement to Parliament on Thursday, November 12, 2026.

The proposed restriction forms part of the government’s broader New Economy Programme, which seeks to strengthen domestic agricultural production, support local farmers and promote economic self-sufficiency.

As part of the strategy, government plans to invest US$3 billion in commercial agriculture, with rice identified as one of eight priority agricultural value chains.

The initiative will include the establishment of rice production hubs in the Afram Plains, the Volta Basin, Western Ghana and Northern Ghana. Government also intends to bring an additional 100,000 hectares of land under rice cultivation, targeting yields of between five and six metric tonnes per hectare.

The programme is expected to create approximately 125,000 jobs while improving the country’s ability to meet its domestic rice consumption needs.

Additionally, from 2027, rice import licences will be linked to purchases of locally produced rice, a measure intended to encourage importers to support Ghanaian farmers and local rice millers.

Government says improvements in storage facilities, processing capacity, quality assurance and distribution will also be necessary to ensure locally produced rice can compete effectively with imported alternatives.

The planned restriction represents a major policy shift in Ghana’s agricultural sector, although its success will depend on whether local production can consistently meet consumer demand in terms of quantity, quality and affordability.