Reset Ghana’s Economy Through Agriculture – Agribusiness Chamber
By Praisebell Rosemond Larbi
The Chamber of Agribusiness Ghana has called for a bold national agenda to reposition agriculture as the primary engine of economic growth, industrialisation and food security as Ghana marks its 69th Independence Anniversary.
In a statement issued to commemorate the anniversary under the theme “Building Prosperity, Restoring Hope,” the Chamber emphasised that agriculture must once again take centre stage in shaping the country’s economic future.
The statement, signed by the Chamber’s Chief Executive Officer, Anthony Kofituo Morrison, noted that for nearly seven decades since independence, agriculture has remained the backbone of the Ghanaian economy.
“In the early years after independence, agriculture accounted for more than 50 percent of national GDP and provided employment for the majority of the population,” the statement said.
Major cash crops such as cocoa, oil palm, rubber and timber helped position Ghana as a significant agricultural exporter, while staple crop production supported national food security and sustained rural livelihoods.
Even today, the sector continues to employ more than one-third of the country’s workforce and remains the economic lifeline of many rural communities.
However, the Chamber observed that the global agricultural landscape has evolved rapidly. Many countries across Asia, Latin America and parts of Africa are investing heavily in agro-industrialisation, agricultural technology, logistics systems and integration into global value chains.
According to the Chamber, several nations that were once food importers have successfully transformed themselves into major agro-exporting economies.
In contrast, Ghana’s agricultural sector continues to face structural competitiveness challenges despite favourable climatic conditions, fertile lands and a vibrant base of farmers and agribusiness entrepreneurs.
The Chamber pointed out that Ghana’s food import bill has risen significantly over the past decade, placing increasing pressure on foreign exchange reserves and exposing the country to global commodity price shocks.
Another major concern highlighted in the statement is the scale of post-harvest losses within the agricultural value chain. Conservative national estimates indicate that Ghana loses between 20 percent and 50 percent of its agricultural produce due to inadequate storage facilities, poor transportation networks, limited processing infrastructure and weak market linkages.
“These losses translate into billions of cedis in wasted production annually, reduced farmer incomes and higher food prices for consumers,” the statement noted.
Against this backdrop, the Chamber is advocating the adoption of a Seven-Year National Agriculture and Agro-Industry Development and Transformation Strategy aimed at fundamentally restructuring Ghana’s agricultural economy.
The proposed strategy outlines ambitious national targets, including reducing Ghana’s food import bill by 60 percent within seven years and cutting post-harvest losses by up to 80 percent through modern storage, logistics and processing systems.
It also proposes reducing food waste across the value chain by as much as 90 percent through integrated food management systems.
The Chamber further called for the expansion of domestic agro-processing capacity to absorb locally produced raw materials and significantly increase value addition within the country.
To achieve these objectives, the organisation urged government to increase budgetary allocations to agriculture in line with the Maputo Declaration on Agriculture and Food Security, which recommends that at least 10 percent of national budgets be allocated to the agricultural sector.
In addition, the Chamber emphasised the need for large-scale investments in agricultural infrastructure, including rural feeder roads, logistics corridors, cold-chain systems, commodity storage hubs, aggregation centres and agro-processing parks.
The statement also highlighted the importance of deploying modern post-harvest technologies such as grain silos, solar-powered cold rooms, mobile processing units and improved packaging infrastructure.
Furthermore, the Chamber called for stronger farmer education and agricultural training programmes to equip the next generation of farmers with knowledge in climate-smart agriculture, digital technologies, agronomy and agribusiness management.
“As Ghana celebrates 69 years of independence, the nation stands at a pivotal moment,” the statement said. “With the right policies, investments and partnerships, agriculture can once again become the cornerstone of Ghana’s economic prosperity.”
