The Government of Ghana has intensified efforts to strengthen food security, boost agricultural productivity and reduce the country’s dependence on food imports through the implementation of the Feed Ghana Programme.
Presenting the 2026 Mid-Year Fiscal Policy Review to Parliament on behalf of President John Dramani Mahama, Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson said the programme is driving investments in crop production, livestock, irrigation and mechanisation to stimulate agricultural growth and create jobs.
He announced that Government had procured 300 metric tonnes each of maize seed and Agyapa rice seed, developed by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), for distribution to farmers across the country.
To improve crop yields, Government also acquired 96,000 litres of organic fertiliser, with 24,000 litres already distributed by June 2026. In addition, 18,684 metric tonnes of inorganic fertiliser have been procured for distribution to farming districts.
The Minister disclosed that 500 District Feed Ghana Brigade Officers had been temporarily engaged to strengthen farmer registration, mobilisation, agricultural extension services and field monitoring. Government will also provide the officers with 500 motorbikes to improve the delivery of extension services, particularly in rural farming communities.
As part of efforts to promote practical agricultural education, Dr Forson said 500 senior high schools had enrolled under the National School Farm Initiative. The participating schools will receive improved seeds, fertilisers, agrochemicals and technical support to equip students with practical farming skills.
On irrigation development, he reported significant progress on several strategic projects. Construction works at the Atonsu, Ekyeamanfrom and Konadu sites under the Afram Plains Economic Enclave Irrigation Project have reached between 80 and 92 per cent completion and are expected to provide approximately 3,330 hectares of irrigable land.
He added that Phase III of the Tamne Irrigation Project is 75 per cent complete, while rehabilitation works at the Vea, Ashaiman, Aveyime and Dawhenya irrigation schemes have also advanced considerably.
The Minister said the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) had regained operational stability and was strengthening the country’s food security through the Strategic Grain Reserve Programme.
According to him, NAFCO purchased more than 20,000 metric tonnes of grains between January and June 2026 and plans to increase its grain reserves to about 32,000 metric tonnes by the end of the year. The company is also expanding storage infrastructure and strengthening grain procurement through partnerships with private aggregators and grain purchasers.
In the poultry sector, Dr Forson said the Poultry Farm-to-Table Project, also known as the Nkoko Nketenkete Initiative, had selected 70 anchor farmers, while about two million day-old chicks had been brooded and distributed across 10 regions.
He revealed that procurement had commenced for an additional four million day-old chicks and 500,000 Kuroiler birds to increase domestic poultry production and reduce imports.
To improve animal health and disease control, the Minister announced that Government had procured 47.35 million doses of veterinary vaccines, while a further 7.14 million doses had been produced locally, reducing reliance on imported vaccines and strengthening the country’s livestock sector.
The Government believes the interventions under the Feed Ghana Programme will improve food production, enhance agricultural resilience, create employment opportunities and support its broader agenda of achieving sustainable food security and agricultural transformation.
