Ghana is planning to prohibit commercial rice imports by the end of 2030 as the government moves to strengthen local production and reduce the country’s reliance on foreign rice.
Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson announced the policy on Thursday, November 12, 2026, while presenting the 2027 Budget Statement and Economic Policy to Parliament.
He explained that the planned restriction would be supported by increased domestic production, investment in rice processing and improvements in storage and distribution to ensure local farmers and millers can meet the country’s demand.
As part of the strategy, the government intends to amend public procurement laws to compel public institutions, including schools and hospitals, to purchase Ghanaian rice and other locally produced staple foods using public funds.
Dr Ato Forson said the move would guarantee a market for local farmers while ensuring that government spending supports domestic businesses and creates employment.
“This will ensure that public spending feeds our children, patients, and other beneficiaries while providing a reliable market for Ghanaian farmers and creating jobs here at home,” he stated.
To increase production, the government plans to establish rice development hubs in the Volta Basin, Western Ghana, Northern Ghana and the Afram Plains.
The proposed hubs will combine irrigation infrastructure, mechanisation, storage facilities, modern rice mills, packaging and logistics to support farmers and businesses across the rice value chain.
According to the Finance Minister, the initiative is expected to bring an additional 100,000 hectares of land under rice cultivation, with targeted yields of between five and six metric tonnes per hectare.
The project is also expected to generate approximately 125,000 jobs.
The government further plans to introduce targeted tax incentives for investors in irrigation systems, mechanisation equipment, silos, modern rice mills, packaging facilities and logistics.
“These incentives will lower investment costs, reduce post-harvest losses, and help Ghanaian rice reach consumers at competitive prices,” Dr Ato Forson said.
Beyond expanding local production, the government will introduce a new arrangement in 2027 linking rice import licences to purchases from verified Ghanaian farmers and millers.
Under the proposed system, importers will be required to purchase a specified proportion of locally produced rice. That requirement will increase as domestic production expands.
Rice import quotas will also be gradually reduced as the country works towards the planned restriction.
“Commercial rice imports will be prohibited by the end of 2030. That decision will be backed by domestic production, milling, storage, quality assurance, and reliable distribution,” the Finance Minister announced.
The policy forms part of the government’s broader agricultural transformation agenda, which aims to reduce food imports, retain more economic value within Ghana and create opportunities for local farmers and businesses.
Implementation of the rice development hubs, procurement reforms and new import-licensing arrangements is expected to begin in 2027.
Watch the video below:
Government is amending public procurement laws to ensure that public funds spent on rice and other staples for public institutions purchase only foodstuff produced in Ghana. —Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson on Ghana’s planned commercial agriculture pillar under the 2027 Economic policy. https://t.co/WlL7BzlTCt
— SIKAOFFICIAL🦍 (@SIKAOFFICIAL1) November 12, 2026
