The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku has announced that Ghana will introduce a new policy linking rice import permits to investments in domestic rice production as part of an ambitious plan to achieve full rice self-sufficiency within the next decade.
Speaking at the opening of the two-day West Africa Rice Investment Roundtable in Accra, on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, the Minister said the Government would require rice importers to demonstrate progressive procurement from, and partnerships with, Ghanaian rice producers before being granted import licences.
“We are redirecting the existing value in the rice trade toward building our own productive capacity,” Opoku told participants, which included Ministers from across the region, development partners, financial institutions and private sector investors.
According to the Minister, Ghana currently consumes about 1.7 million tonnes of rice annually but produces only about 960,000 tonnes, leaving a deficit of roughly 751,000 tonnes and a self-sufficiency rate of 56 percent.
The shortfall costs the country an estimated $320 million annually in rice imports.
Eric Opoku said the government had completed advanced satellite-based geospatial mapping of rice-growing areas nationwide to identify investment opportunities and support the country’s rice development strategy.
The mapping exercise, conducted with support from the World Bank and in partnership with scientist Dr Kathryn Natindi and a NASA-backed programme, has identified approximately 515,000 acres of land under rice cultivation across major rice-producing zones.
“What this means for investors and businesses is straightforward. We are no longer offering perceived potential; we are offering verified, location-specific opportunities,” he said.
The Minister noted that Ghanaian rice farmers currently achieve average yields of about 3.4 tonnes per hectare, but productivity under irrigated systems has reached 6.5 tonnes per hectare, demonstrating the potential for significant output growth through improved seeds, irrigation, mechanisation and better agronomic practices.
He also highlighted post-harvest challenges, noting that rice milling recovery rates in Ghana stand at about 55 percent, below the global benchmark of 65 percent, resulting in annual losses estimated between $15 million and $90 million.
