Mahama Urges Ghanaians to Eat Ghana at 41st Farmers’ Day – Government to Cut $3bn Food Import Bill
President John Dramani Mahama has called for a national shift towards consuming locally produced food as part of a broader strategy to reduce Ghana’s estimated $3 billion annual food import bill and strengthen the country’s agricultural sector.
Speaking at the 41st Farmers’ Day celebration, the President commended Ghanaian farmers and fishers, describing them as the backbone of national food security and economic stability.
“Quality, accessible and affordable food is fundamental to national survival and development. A nourished child learns better and grows healthier. A nourished workforce is more productive. And a nourished nation is a stronger nation,” he said.
Mahama stressed that Ghana’s continued dependence on imported staples such as rice, poultry, vegetable oils, sugar and processed foods was unsustainable, adding that his administration is committed to building a bold, resilient and well-sequenced agricultural transformation agenda.
Progress under Feed Ghana programme
The President highlighted progress made under the Feed Ghana Programme, citing improvements in irrigation expansion, mechanisation, storage capacity, access to credit, and value-chain development. He also reported a significant decline in food inflation, from 28.3% in January 2025 to 9.5% by October 2025, attributing the improvement to targeted interventions, including fertiliser and seed distribution and the expansion of irrigation infrastructure.
“When my government assumed office in January 2025, food inflation stood at 28.3 per cent… It has now declined significantly to 9.5 per cent by October 2025,” he stated.
Key agricultural interventions
President Mahama outlined several ongoing initiatives aimed at boosting productivity and reducing post-harvest losses, including:
- Vegetable development projects
- Solar-powered boreholes for irrigation
- Establishment of farmers’ service centres
- Expanded mechanisation support
- Strengthened buffer stock systems
He revealed that over 710,000 farmers have been registered and integrated into national agricultural interventions through a cooperative model, which, according to him, improves bargaining power, fair pricing and collective problem-solving.
The President announced that government support would increasingly be channeled through farmer cooperatives and urged farmers to organise themselves to fully benefit from national programmes.
Reviving the poultry industry
As part of efforts to achieve food sovereignty, Mahama said the government is intensifying efforts to revive the local poultry industry, establish modern processing plants, and expand partnerships with private sector processors.
“We are expanding irrigation infrastructure, establishing farmers’ service centres, increasing storage capacity, improving access to credits and insurance, and strengthening linkages in agro-processing,” he said, adding that public-private partnerships are being used to develop large-scale agribusiness investments while integrating smallholder farmers into inclusive value chains.
Climate-smart agriculture and partnerships
President Mahama called for the adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices, stronger research collaboration and deeper partnerships with international development organisations, including IFAD, AGRA, GIZ, JICA, FAO and the African Development Bank.
He expressed appreciation to development partners, financial institutions, and countries including Italy, Norway, the Netherlands and Canada, as well as local banks such as the Agricultural Development Bank, for their support to the sector.
To feed Ghana, we must also eat Ghana
Reaffirming his administration’s vision, the President urged Ghanaians to prioritise local food consumption.
“To feed Ghana, we must also eat Ghana. We cannot import what we can grow. We must promote Ghanaian rice, Ghanaian poultry, yams, fruits, vegetables, cooking oil and cassava products,” he said.
He concluded by praising farmers and fishers as “the real heroes of Ghana’s progress” and officially launched the 2025 National Farmers’ Day celebrations, calling for unity between government, private sector and communities to build a resilient and prosperous nation.
