2026 Budget :Government announces bold agric sector programs for improved food security, job creation

 


The Minister of Finance Dr Cassiel Atto Forson has presented Ghana's 2026 Budget allocated significant funds to boost the country's agriculture and industry

sector


These policies according to the government are aimed at improving food security and provide jobs for youth in the country. 


To achieve this, the government has prioritized six key areas, including boosting food production, driving agro-industrial transformation, and promoting value addition.


The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) has been allocated GH₵2,239,683,723, with a focus on fertilizer and seed support, farmers' service centres, poultry farm-to-table projects, and irrigation infrastructure.


"The allocation includes GH₵515 million for fertilizer and seed support, GH₵690 million for 50 Farmers Service Centres, and GH₵244.9 million for the Poultry Farm-to-Table project," said Finance Minister, in a statement.


The budget also includes initiatives to support the fisheries sector, with GH₵333,420,635 allocated for fish markets, harbours, and the Fisheries College.


The government expects the budget to drive higher food output, lower inflation, and stronger value addition, ultimately reducing poverty and inequality.


However, Journalists during a post Budget Worship by the African Center for Energy Policy on Tuesday November 18,2025, said there are concerns about the implementation of the budget, including delayed release of funds, climate change impacts, and corruption risks.


The success of the budget depends on effective implementation and minimizing corruption. 


Overall, the 2026 Budget is a significant step towards boosting Ghana's agriculture and industry sectors, and achieving the government's development goals.


Addressing Poultry Sector Challenges 


The government as part of improving poultry production also  launched a bold initiative to increase poultry self-sufficiency from 12% to 75% by 2028. 


The Feed Ghana Programme aims to empower households, smallholder farmers, and commercial producers to boost local poultry production.


The program includes the distribution of 3 million birds across all 276 constituencies, with each constituency receiving 10,000 birds to benefit about 60,000 households.


 Additionally, 50 anchor farmers will receive 80,000 birds, logistics, and technical support to produce 4 million birds.


A journalist from the Kumasi Based OTEC FM, Kwame Agyenim Boateng Boateng discussing the programs under the agric sector said while the initiative is commendable, there are concerns about the implementation strategy. 


Giving out pullets to individuals with limited knowledge in the sector may increase mortality rates, resulting in losses.


Suggestions are that, Government could have focused on supporting large-scale and medium-scale farmers who would employ the youth, providing value for money and achieving the targeted 10 million birds. 


The budget allocation for the program includes GH¢1.7 billion for agriculture value chain development, GH¢828 million for construction of 1,000km of agriculture enclave roads, and GH¢690 million for operationalization of Farmer Service Centres.


The success of the program depends on addressing challenges such as inadequate funding, high production costs, limited access to credit, and climate change risks.

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