Cooking oil dominates Ghana's informal food imports - Report

Cooking oil remained Ghana’s largest informal food import during the first nine months of 2025, highlighting the country’s continued reliance on neighbouring markets to meet domestic demand for essential food commodities.

Data from the Ghana Statistical Service’s (GSS) Informal Cross-Border Trade Report on July 15,2026, shows that cooking oil consistently accounted for the highest share of food imports recorded through informal trade channels between January and September 2025, although its contribution declined slightly over the period.

The report indicates that cooking oil accounted for 16.3% of informal food imports in the first quarter of 2025, then fell to 14.4% by the third quarter.

Despite the decline, it remained the leading food commodity imported through informal cross-border trade.

Rice was the second-largest food import in the third quarter, accounting for 8.4% of informal food imports, while shea nuts followed with a 7% share.

Imports of livestock, particularly cattle, recorded a gradual decline during the period, dropping from 6.9% of informal food imports in the first quarter to 5.5% by the third quarter.

Sugar accounted for 5.7% of informal food imports, while maize remained relatively stable. Its share increased from 4.7% in the first quarter to 5.1% in the second quarter, then returned to 4.7% in the third quarter.

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The GSS report also revealed that Ghana’s informal food trade deficit doubled within the first three quarters of 2025.

The deficit increased from about GH¢400 million in the first quarter to GH¢800 million by the third quarter, indicating that the country imported significantly more food through informal channels than it exported.

The development points to persistent gaps in domestic food supply and growing dependence on neighbouring countries for key food products.

Meanwhile, Ghana’s informal non-food trade surplus narrowed during the same period.

The surplus fell from GH¢1 billion in the first quarter to GH¢800 million by the third quarter, suggesting a shift in the structure of informal cross-border trade.

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The latest figures underscore the critical role informal trade plays in Ghana’s food supply chain, particularly in ensuring the availability of essential commodities such as cooking oil and rice.

The data also raises concerns about domestic agricultural production, food security and the need to strengthen local value chains to reduce dependence on imported food products.

DR/SA