Ghana imports 70 percent of its onions, incurring a weekly cost of approximately US$ 2 million, according to current data from the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG). The majority of these imports originate from Niger, Mali, and other Sahel region countries. Dr. Charles K. Nyaaba, the former executive director of PFAG, expressed concerns over this trend during an Accountability Forum for Political Parties in Accra, highlighting that the Ministry of Food and Agriculture's figures confirm this dependency. Despite Ghana's self-sufficiency in commodities like cassava, maize, peanuts, cabbage, millet, yam, and plantain, the nation still relies heavily on imports for essential staples such as tomatoes, pepper, onions, rice, and poultry.
Ghana's food import bill exceeds US$ 2.5 billion annually, with over 60 percent attributed to rice, poultry, and sugar imports. Tomato imports from Burkina Faso are also on the rise, with PFAG estimating the annual import value at US$ 400 million as of 2022, a figure expected to have increased since. Dr. Nyaaba attributes the high level of importation to limited policy support for peasant farmers. The World Food Programme (WFP) estimates that about 1.05 million people in Ghana faced acute food insecurity between June and August 2024, a slight improvement from 1.37 million in 2023. Dr. Nyaaba emphasized the importance of smallholder farmers, who provide about 80 percent of all food for industry, consumption, and export, despite facing numerous challenges.
PFAG reports a 30 percent increase in agriculture input costs this year, impacting the acquisition of fertilizers and agrochemicals. Additionally, the cost of mechanization, fuel, and energy has risen by 25-30 percent. The sector also struggles with accessing credit, limited irrigation, poor implementation of government projects, and political interference in policies. PFAG hopes the next government will prioritize agricultural development to secure a better future for farmers and the nation.
Source: GhanaWeb