Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson has announced plans to establish four rice development hubs across Ghana, with the aim of creating about 125,000 jobs and increasing local rice production.
The hubs will be located in the Afram Plains, the Volta Basin, Western Ghana and Northern Ghana, with each expected to support activities along the rice value chain, from cultivation to processing and distribution.
Presenting the 2027 Budget Statement and Economic Policy to Parliament on Thursday, November 12, 2026, Dr Ato Forson said the initiative would bring an additional 100,000 hectares of land under rice cultivation.
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The government is targeting rice yields of between five and six metric tonnes per hectare as part of efforts to increase domestic production and reduce the country's dependence on imported rice.
According to the Finance Minister, the hubs will be supported by investments in irrigation, mechanisation, storage, processing, packaging and logistics to improve efficiency and strengthen the local rice industry.
Dr Ato Forson also announced plans to introduce targeted tax incentives for businesses investing in key infrastructure and equipment for rice production.
The incentives will cover investments in irrigation systems, mechanisation equipment, silos, modern rice mills, packaging facilities and logistics.
He said the measures were intended to lower the cost of investment, reduce post-harvest losses and make locally produced rice more competitive in the market.
In another major policy announcement, the Finance Minister said the government would amend public procurement laws to require public institutions, including schools and hospitals, to purchase locally grown foodstuffs with public funds.
The proposed policy is expected to provide farmers with a reliable market for their produce while ensuring that government spending supports local businesses and creates employment.
“The principle is simple. The money of the Ghanaian people must create opportunities for the Ghanaian people,” he told Parliament.
“If you spend their money to put rice on the table, that rice must come from their farms,” he added.
Dr Ato Forson said the policy would ensure that public expenditure benefits local farmers and consumers while creating stronger demand for Ghanaian agricultural products.
The four rice hubs and proposed procurement changes form part of the government's broader efforts to expand agricultural production, strengthen the domestic rice value chain and reduce the country's reliance on food imports.
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