The Ministry of Food and Agriculture has announced the launch of a new initiative, “Irrigation for Wealth Creation,” aimed at expanding irrigation infrastructure to boost food production in Ghana.
The first phase of the project, set to last one year, will be piloted in eight regions: Volta, Oti, Central, North East, Northern, Savannah, Upper West and Upper East.
Regional ministers in these areas have been tasked with leading stakeholder engagements to ensure smooth implementation.
According to Agriculture Minister Eric Opoku, the government will allocate 10,000 hectares of land for this phase, aligning with its Agric for Economic Transformation agenda.
Speaking at a meeting with selected regional ministers, Mr. Opoku highlighted that the identified regions had been earmarked for irrigation long ago.
The finalization of land discussions with local chiefs is expected to pave the way for construction. However, the type of irrigation systems to be deployed will be determined after field assessments by experts.
Ghana’s Irrigation Gap
The minister lamented Ghana’s low irrigation coverage, revealing that only 1.6% of the country’s 1.9 million hectares of arable land is under irrigation – far below the West African average of 13.9%.
“Farming in Ghana is seasonal because we rely solely on rainfall. The weather is not always favourable, and this affects food production. We want to change this by investing in irrigation infrastructure, ensuring that farmers can cultivate crops all year round,” he stated.
Mr. Opoku stressed the importance of improving irrigation to reduce Ghana’s heavy reliance on food imports, which cost the country over $2 billion annually.
“Why are we spending billions importing food when we have the potential to feed ourselves and even export to West Africa? This must change,” he emphasized.
Funding and Next Steps
The cost of the initiative has not yet been disclosed, with the minister indicating that details will be revealed in the 2025 budget statement.
“We have commissioned a team to finalize the designs and the actual cost will depend on their assessments. Once the budget is approved, we will proceed with awarding contracts and move to the implementation stage,” Mr. Opoku explained.
The government hopes this initiative will significantly boost agricultural output, enhance food security and reduce Ghana’s dependence on food imports.
