Govt to ban commercial rice imports by 2030
The government has announced plans to prohibit commercial rice imports by the end of 2030 as part of an ambitious strategy to achieve self-sufficiency in rice production and reduce the country’s dependence on imported food. Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson said the government would begin linking rice import licences to purchases from verified […] The post Govt to ban commercial rice…
The Ghanaian government has announced plans to ban commercial rice imports by the end of 2030 as part of its strategy to achieve self-sufficiency in rice production and reduce dependence on imported food. Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson revealed that the government will begin linking rice import licences to purchases from verified Ghanaian farmers and millers starting in 2027.
The government aims to increase domestic production, milling capacity, storage facilities, quality assurance, and reliable distribution systems to support the ban on commercial rice imports. Additionally, the government plans to establish rice development hubs in the Volta Basin, Western Ghana, and Northern Ghana to expand rice cultivation by an additional 100,000 hectares and create approximately 125,000 jobs.
The government also intends to amend the Public Procurement Laws to require public institutions to purchase locally grown rice and other staple foods, providing a reliable market for Ghanaian farmers and supporting domestic production and employment. These initiatives are part of the government's broader commercial agriculture programme aimed at reducing food imports, strengthening agro-processing, and creating employment.
Brief written by urgent.news from The Chronicle Ghana's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
