What Ghana Eats, But Imports
- bernard boateng
- 6 days ago
- 1 min read
In 2024, Ghana spent an astounding GHS 39 billion importing food items to meet domestic demand. Despite a strong agricultural identity, the nation continues to rely heavily on foreign-sourced staples, raising questions about food security, domestic production capacity, and policy direction.
Top Imports
At the top of the list is cereal grains (GHS 3.37bn), followed closely by guts, bladders & stomachs of animals (GHS 2.69bn) and frozen meat cuts (GHS 2.58bn). Sugar, rice, and even cocoa beans, one of Ghana’s top exports, were part of the import mix.
Food Item | Value (GHS bn) |
Cereal grains | 3.37 |
Animal guts, bladders & stomach | 2.69 |
Frozen cuts & offal | 2.58 |
Sugar | 2.37 |
Cocoa beans (standard quality) | 2.01 |
Semi/wholly milled rice | 1.98 |
Crude shea oil | 1.86 |
Shea nuts | 1.62 |
Frozen fish (excluding fillets) | 1.26 |
Broken rice | 1.07 |
Other food items | 18.1 |
Why the Dependence?
The reasons are multifaceted:
Local production gaps: Inconsistent rainfall, land degradation, and weak mechanization.
Changing diets: Urbanization is driving demand for processed and imported foods.
Trade liberalization: Low import duties make foreign food products competitive.
Policy Implications
This heavy import reliance suggests a pressing need for:
Revamped investment in local agriculture.
Incentives for domestic processing.
Targeted public-private partnerships to reduce post-harvest losses.
Looking Ahead
Reducing Ghana’s food import bill won’t be easy—but it’s essential. A stronger domestic agricultural base will mean better food security, job creation, and foreign exchange savings.
As Ghana continues its journey toward economic resilience, what's on the plate matters as much as what's in the wallet.
Incredibly revealing.