The Director of Corporate Affairs at the Ministry of Agriculture, Apraku Lartey, has shed light on Ghana’s ongoing challenges with food self-sufficiency, emphasising the country’s heavy reliance on imported staples. Speaking on JoyPrime on November 24, 2024, Lartey revealed alarming statistics that illustrate the gap between local production and consumption.
According to Lartey, Ghana imports about 68 per cent of the pepper consumed in the country. Despite local efforts to cultivate pepper, domestic production remains insufficient to meet national demand. “If you look at the current status in Ghana, we cannot claim to have achieved food sufficiency,” he stated, underscoring the need to strengthen local agricultural output.
Lartey further highlighted the situation in the poultry sector, noting that 95 percent of poultry consumed in Ghana is imported. He explained that while Ghanaians have specific taste preferences, local production only accounts for a small fraction, around 5 percent, of total consumption. This reliance on imports, he said, makes the country vulnerable to external price fluctuations and supply disruptions, while also limiting opportunities for local farmers to benefit fully from the domestic market.
The Director’s observations point to a larger challenge: while Ghana has the significant agricultural potential, much of the country’s food needs continue to be met through imports, particularly for high-demand items like poultry and pepper. Addressing these gaps, Lartey suggested that we will require enhanced support for local farmers, improved production systems, and policies that make locally grown food more competitive in both quality and quantity.
