The Government of Ghana has announced plans to introduce a new import quota policy aimed at boosting demand for locally produced rice and strengthening the country’s domestic rice value chain.
The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, made the announcement at the West Africa Rice Investment Roundtable held in Accra on Tuesday, June 2.
According to him, the policy will link rice import permits directly to support for local production, requiring importers to demonstrate verifiable procurement and partnership with Ghanaian rice farmers and producers before being granted clearance to import.
He explained that the initiative is designed to reduce Ghana’s heavy reliance on imported rice while stimulating local production capacity, improving market access for farmers, and attracting investment into the rice value chain.
“Government will implement an import quota policy that directly links the privilege of importing rice to the growth of domestic production. Under this policy, rice importers will be required to demonstrate verifiable procurement of and partnership with Ghanaian rice production before import permits are approved,” he said.
Mr. Opoku further clarified that the policy is not intended to impose hardship.
“We are not raising tariffs that punish consumers. We are not imposing bans that create shortages. We are redirecting the existing value in the rice trade towards building our own productive capacity,” he stressed.