Ghana Agriculture

Rice production in Ghana has come under scrutiny in recent years, as the government works to reduce its agricultural imports by boosting domestic production. A number of state-led initiatives are aimed at improving output, while the private sector is playing an increasingly important role.

Halfway through the current cocoa season, concerns are rising that Ghana’s growers will see lower-than-expected revenues for 2013, due to poor weather conditions and a tight global market. However, the government still plans to move ahead with a long-term programme to further boost production, with hopes that a series of late rains will also improve output for the current season.

As the world’s second-largest cocoa producer, Ghana accounts for more than one-fifth of the global cocoa market. The commodity is a crucial export earner and contributor to the country’s economy. After a bumper harvest last season, the country is now looking to develop the segment, increase yields and diversify into growing markets.

Ghana’s cocoa industry has enjoyed a bumper crop this year, on the back of favourable weather conditions. During the most recent primary harvest period, from September 2010 through May 2011, the sector produced just over 900,000 tonnes of cocoa, up substantially from 623,000 tonnes the previous year. An additional 80,000 tonnes of production is expected during the three-month light crop period that began in June 2011, which should bring the annual total to just below 1m tonnes.