Ghana is targeting rice self-sufficiency by 2028 with an $18.8 million grant from the African Development Bank (AfDB), as the government seeks to close a domestic supply gap that currently leaves the country importing an estimated $500 million worth of rice annually.
Minister for Food and Agriculture Eric Opoku announced the target on October 7, 2026, in Accra, outlining plans to increase production, improve processing and reduce post-harvest losses under the Regional West Africa Resilient Rice Value Chains Development Project, known as REWARD.
The government aims to achieve annual production of 3.31 million metric tonnes of paddy rice by 2028. Paddy is rice harvested before milling removes its outer husk, meaning the production target should not be confused with the volume of finished rice available for consumption.
According to the minister, Ghana’s milled rice production rose from approximately 650,000 tonnes in 2024 to 960,000 tonnes in 2025. Despite that increase, local production meets only about 56 per cent of national demand, leaving the remaining 44 per cent to imports. The government estimates that annual rice imports cost the country between $320 million and $500 million.
The AfDB-backed project is designed to address bottlenecks across the rice value chain rather than focus on cultivation alone. It will develop 3,200 hectares of rice-producing land in Ghana’s Northern Savannah Ecological Zone, improve access to quality seeds and mechanisation, and support selected seed centres with cleaning equipment.
The programme also targets an increase in yields from 3.5 to 4.5 metric tonnes per hectare. More than 20,000 smallholder farmers across selected districts are expected to benefit from improved production support, machinery and stronger market connections.
Ten strategically located rice-processing centres will receive equipment, while hermetic storage facilities are expected to help reduce losses after harvest. These interventions are important because higher field production does not automatically translate into more marketable rice: inadequate drying, storage and milling capacity can reduce both the quantity and quality reaching consumers.
The project is expected to be formally launched in the first week of November 2026, ahead of the 2027 production season. This leaves roughly two production seasons for the government to make substantial progress towards its 2028 objective.
Alongside the investment, the government has announced a proposed shift in rice import policy. Importers would be required to demonstrate verifiable partnerships with local producers before obtaining import permits, linking access to the import market with investment in domestic production.
Opoku said the measure was not intended to ban imports, but to direct more investment towards Ghanaian farmers, millers and traders. Its effectiveness will depend on how the policy is implemented, whether local suppliers can consistently meet demand and whether consumers continue to have access to affordable rice.
The initiative also forms part of a wider effort to improve food security and retain more value within Ghana’s agricultural economy. Japan has separately provided a grant worth approximately $2.49 million for rice seed-production equipment, including harvesters, trucks and seed-cleaning machines, expected to arrive in November 2026.
NBF Insight
Ghana’s rice ambition is ultimately a productivity and value-chain challenge. The $18.8 million grant provides targeted support, but the scale of the import bill shows that closing the gap will require sustained investment beyond a single project.
The critical test is whether improved seeds, mechanisation and land development can raise yields quickly enough while processing, storage and distribution systems keep pace. Farmers also need reliable markets and competitive prices if expanded production is to remain commercially attractive.
The proposed link between import permits and local investment could create new opportunities for domestic producers, but it must be implemented transparently and alongside measures to improve local rice quality and affordability.
By 2028, success should be measured not only by tonnes harvested, but also by the share of national demand met by locally produced rice, reductions in import expenditure, lower post-harvest losses and higher incomes for farmers. Ghana has set a clear target. Turning it into lasting self-sufficiency will depend on delivery across the entire rice value chain.
