Agriculture Minister Pushes Irrigation Transition, Says Ghana Must Break Rain-Fed Farming Cycle to Cut Import Bill

Agriculture Minister Eric Opoku has called for a fundamental shift in Ghana's farming model, saying the country must move decisively from rain-fed agriculture to irrigation-supported, year-round production if it is to reduce its heavy dependence on food imports and buffer farmers against increasingly erratic rainfall.

Speaking during a visit to Gyidiman Farms in the Afram Plains South District, Opoku said reliance on seasonal rainfall continues to cap the country's agricultural potential. "We have to transition Ghana's agriculture from rainfed agriculture to irrigation agriculture," he emphasised .

The visit underscored both the promise and the fragility of large-scale farming in Ghana. Gyidiman Farms, led by 2025 National Best Farmer Abraham Kwaku Adusei and backed by the Saviour Church of Ghana, spans 350 acres of cashew, 320 acres of mango and 450 acres of maize, alongside rice, beans, vegetables, teak and livestock. It has operated for more than two decades and engages thousands of workers in batches, providing employment for surrounding communities .

But inadequate rainfall has exacted a heavy toll. Nana Abraham, the farm's 83-year-old founder and a farmer for over five decades, said more than 500 acres of beans were lost last year due to lack of rain. "We had a difficult period last year because, due to lack of rain, we suffered a loss of over 500 acres of beans cultivated," he recounted .

Irrigation and Infrastructure in the Pipeline

Opoku said the procurement process for an irrigation project drawing water from the Afram River—more than 12 miles away—was nearing completion, with the Ghana Irrigation Development Authority handling technical arrangements. Contractors are also working to extend electricity to the farm, with completion expected by the end of December 2026 . The support forms part of the government's broader Irrigation for Wealth Creation initiative, which President John Dramani Mahama launched to expand irrigation infrastructure and promote all-year farming .

Transport remains another bottleneck. Delays at the Afram River ferry crossing disrupt the movement of workers and produce, sometimes contributing to post-harvest losses. Opoku said a contract had been awarded for a bridge project and the contractor was on site, while ongoing road construction is expected to improve access .

Church Partnership and the Feed Ghana Model

Under the Feed Ghana Programme, the government is encouraging churches to participate in food production, and the Saviour Church became the first church to register under the initiative. Opoku said the government had supplied the church with 1,000 bags of fertiliser this year, with the allocation potentially increasing to match the scale of its operations .

The ministry is also developing a farmer service centre to provide machinery and grain storage, while Gyidiman already operates a rice processing facility to add value to its produce .

The Import Bill Stakes

The minister's push comes against a stark backdrop. Ghana spent over GH¢36.46 billion on food imports in 2025, with processed cereal grains, frozen chicken and rice among the largest categories. Rice imports alone—semi-milled and broken—totalled more than GH¢3.5 billion . The country remains heavily exposed to global price swings and currency depreciation, and the government has set a target of full rice self-sufficiency by 2028 .

Opoku said local and foreign investors had expressed interest in acquiring thousands of hectares for farming, and argued that scaling up operations like Gyidiman would create jobs, particularly for young people. "If we have 10 Gyidiman Farms in Ghana, it will end our imports," he said .

Nana Abraham, for his part, urged young people to see farming as a viable career. "Farming is something so valuable. I'm 83 years old, and I'm still a farmer," he said .