The government has announced a policy that will tie rice import permits directly to investment in local rice production.

This was made known by Agriculture Minister Eric Opoku during the West Africa Rice Investment Roundtable in Accra on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, where he outlined a plan designed to shift the balance of Ghana's rice economy away from foreign suppliers and toward homegrown farmers and producers.

Under the proposed import quota policy, rice importers will no longer simply pay for clearance to bring in foreign rice. They will first be required to show verifiable proof of procurement from, and partnership with, Ghanaian rice farmers before any import permit is approved.

"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," Opoku said.

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The minister was at pains to frame the policy as a growth instrument rather than a punitive measure, pushing back against any suggestion that ordinary consumers would bear the brunt of the change.

"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.

The government says the initiative is aimed at reducing Ghana's longstanding dependence on imported rice, improving market access for local farmers, and drawing fresh investment into the domestic rice value chain.

ID/BAI

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