Source: Ghana should not import poultry, rice – Israeli Ambassador
During a recent visit to an agricultural facility in the Western region of Ghana, the Israeli ambassador (to Ghana and Liberia) reportedly expressed shock at the amount of money spent importing rice into Ghana, describing it as “crazy.”
Crazy indeed. Why should Ghana be importing food? With large tracts of lush uncultivated land, a large and growing population of unemployed youth, a large and rapidly growing market, Ghana has all the ingredients for a very vibrant agricultural sector. Yet last year, the food import bill was reported to be US$2.1 billion. Yes, that is the bill for a single year, and Ghana did import 70% of the rice requirement for that year! The potential for agriculture to lead our development effort is absolutely massive. According to one estimate, Ghana could be earning upwards of $10 billion a year from oil palm exports alone! And how much did Ghana contract in loans? It is almost like sitting on a pot of gold and begging for alms.
For a country that has >50% of it’s eligible labour force directly engaged in agriculture, you would think that it will become obvious to the leadership that the development of the agricultural sector holds the key to our economic development. Of all the routes to economic development available to us, that through agricultural development seems the most logical and perhaps the less daunting. All it requires is leadership with a plan. So, Mr Ambassador well said. It is hoped that those at the helm of affairs and who have the ability to act will do so in the interest of our dear country.
domestix 