The Chamber of Agribusiness Ghana has called for the immediate implementation of the Ghana Rice Industrialisation Strategy (GRIS), arguing that the policy could transform the country’s rice sector and significantly reduce dependence on imports.
The Chamber’s CEO, Anthony Selorm Morrison, said Ghana’s rice industry is facing a growing challenge as local production continues to increase while imported rice dominates the domestic market.
The organisation revealed that rice production reached approximately 900,000 metric tonnes during the 2025/26 season, representing an 18 percent increase in output. Despite this growth, more than one million metric tonnes of paddy rice valued at about GH¢5 billion remain unsold in warehouses across the country.
Meanwhile, Ghana continues to import nearly one million metric tonnes of milled rice annually, with imports rising by 77 percent between 2021 and 2025.
Mr. Morrison warned that the trend is undermining investments in the sector, reducing farmer incomes and threatening the sustainability of local rice production.
Under the proposed GRIS framework, imports of milled rice would be strategically restricted while local processing industries would be strengthened to absorb domestic production and add value within the country.
The Chamber believes the strategy would redirect consumer demand toward locally milled rice, increase utilisation of processing facilities and retain more value within Ghana’s agricultural economy.
It further argued that food security and agro-industrial development cannot be achieved through continued dependence on imported rice.
The Chamber is therefore urging government institutions and policymakers to support the immediate adoption of the strategy as part of broader efforts to strengthen local industry and reduce the country’s food import bill.
Source: businesspostonline
