{
  "id": 19765353,
  "title": "Peasant agriculture cannot solve Ghana’s food problems – Ato Forson",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/13/peasant-agriculture-cannot-solve-ghanas-food-problems-ato-forson-19765353",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-11-13T05:03:57.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Joy Business",
    "slug": "joy-business",
    "url": "https://www.myjoyonline.com/peasant-agriculture-cannot-solve-ghanas-food-problems-ato-forson/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, Ghana's Finance Minister, has warned that peasant agriculture is insufficient to address the nation's food challenges. Addressing the 2027 Budget presentation to Parliament, he underscored the need for a transformation in the country's agricultural sector. Speaking about Ghana's massive food import bill, Forson cited the $3.5 billion annually spent purchasing foodstuffs, describing the dependence as unsustainable. He urged the country to capitalize on its resources, including its expansive land, water, and a youthful population, to foster commercial agriculture.\n\nForson's appeal extended to various agricultural sectors, such as oil palm, sugar, rice, poultry, maize, soybean, aquaculture, vegetables, and cocoa. He questioned why Ghana persists in buying products it could cultivate locally, citing an example of poultry imports worth $200 million per year. He advocated for better integration between crop production and poultry farming, suggesting the use of soybean and maize for poultry feed. Concerning fish imports, he also raised concerns about the reliance on imports from Burkina Faso for onions and tomatoes.\n\nDr Forson emphasized the potential of Pwalugu as a solution to vegetable supply issues. He advocated for the modernization of agriculture, rather than merely focusing on food production. Beyond agriculture, he outlined plans to increase domestic cocoa processing, rather than relying on exporters to add value to Ghanaian cocoa beans. The government seeks to compel companies purchasing Ghanaian cocoa to establish processing facilities within the country. He confirmed that the new Cocoa Board Act mandates processing 50% of cocoa locally by 2028, with a target of 100% by 2030.\n\nRegarding the processing target, Forson revealed that the necessary legislation to enforce the 50% local processing regulation by 2028 is already in place. A legislative instrument is also set to determine the timeline for achieving 100% local processing by 2030. He also mentioned discussions regarding a proposed contract for 500,000 metric tonnes of cocoa value addition, with Dangote identified as a potential investor, though specifics are still under review.",
  "summary": "Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson says Ghana must move beyond peasant agriculture and modernise food production to reduce its dependence on imports.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}