The Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana has called on foreign investors to establish rice mills in Ghana to boost the country’s rice value chain and reduce reliance on imports.
Speaking at the 2025 World Rice Conference in Cambodia, the Association’s Executive Secretary, Samson Asaki Awingobit, said that Ghana has an abundant supply of paddy rice produced by local farmers that remains largely unprocessed due to limited milling capacity.
He noted that the situation has left many farmers struggling to sell their produce, while the country continues to spend an estimated GH¢300 million to GH¢400 million annually on rice imports.
“The government is encouraging investors to establish mills in Ghana. Purchase paddy rice from our outgrowers, and support smallholder farmers to increase production. This will enable us to process healthy, high-quality grains for local consumption and export”, he stated.
According to him, Ghana offers a stable political environment and an improving macroeconomic outlook, making it an attractive destination for agricultural investment. He added that increasing local processing capacity will create jobs, enhance food security, and help the country save foreign exchange spent on imports.
The Association also emphasised that the development of rice mills could transform the livelihoods of smallholder farmers, who are currently facing post-harvest losses due to inadequate local demand for paddy rice.
Ghana has made significant progress in rice production in recent years through government and private-sector initiatives. However, the country still imports a large share of its rice. This is mainly due to limited domestic processing and packaging facilities.
The call from the Importers and Exporters Association aligns with a bigger goal of achieving rice self-sufficiency and strengthening the agricultural value chain to meet growing domestic and regional demand.
