Ghana’s government has released 1.68 billion cedis ($162.8 million) to scale up agricultural infrastructure and boost domestic food production, a move aimed at curbing the West African nation’s reliance on costly food imports and stabilizing rural incomes.
The front-loaded disbursement represents 85% of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture’s approved 2026 budget for capital expenditure, goods, and services, Deputy Finance Minister Thomas Nyarko Ampem said at the launch of the AGRICONNECT Compact in Accra. The capital injection is part of a broader state strategy to shift Ghana’s farm sector away from subsistence operations toward commercial agribusiness.
“We are no longer interested in budget approvals that sit on paper,” Nyarko Ampem said. “The focus now is execution, impact, and accountability. Agriculture must pay, and it must pay sustainably for our farmers and for the economy.”
The funding comes as Ghana looks to insulate its economy from external supply shocks and currency pressures driven by food imports. The government is directing the bulk of the capital toward input subsidies and infrastructure development to drive immediate yields.
Funding Breakdown
- Farmer Support: 581.4 million cedis ($56.5 million) to establish 50 Farmer Service Centres across the country.
- Crop Inputs: 515.3 million cedis ($50.1 million) earmarked for certified seeds and fertilizers.
- Livestock & Logistics: 244.9 million cedis ($23.8 million) for the “Nkoko Nkitinkiti” poultry farm-to-table project, and 200 million cedis ($19.4 million) to the National Food Buffer Stock Company to grease logistics and trading networks.
- Irrigation: 110 million cedis ($10.7 million) allocated to build and upgrade water-management infrastructure.
The administration is tying budget releases directly to measurable production outputs to ensure efficient use of capital. To prevent leakage and optimize sub-national distribution, the finance and agriculture ministries are rolling out a digital tracking platform to monitor funds down to the district level.
“I am pleased to confirm that we have released GH¢1.677 billion,” Nyarko Ampem said, noting that the treasury wants to ensure “every cedi released translates directly into measurable output, reduced import dependence, and improved rural incomes.”
