Slow agricultural progress blamed for rising food costs-Professor Irene Sussana Egyir

An Agriculture Economist and Dean of the School of Agriculture at the University of Ghana, Professor Irene Sussana Egyir,  has condemned the slow implementation of government agricultural initiatives, classifying them as having “good intentions” but failing to meet deadlines.

She said the country’s rain-dependent agriculture needed exact timing, noting that slow release of inputs like fertilisers, seeds and credit meant farmers missed best planting times.

Professor Irene Sussana Egyir said “Timing is crucial in agricultural activities, especially when we depend heavily on rainfall patterns. When inputs arrive late, farmers lose the opportunity to plant at the right time, which ultimately affects productivity and food security.”

Additionally, she revealed that access to government agricultural support programmes had become more and more demanding to the point where even farmers with their own resources who wanted to take part in community farming initiatives experienced challenges to make the most out of these programmes.

she stated by outlining the procedure as not practical for farming “We have farmers who are ready to invest their own money but cannot access the support they need because of administrative barriers.” She therefore advised government to enhance farm support efficiency  programmes and make them clear and concise to farmers across the country to help improve output and reduce food imports.

The call comes at a time when food inflation continues regardless efforts to support Ghana’s current disinflation path. Prof. Egyir said in an interview that “Food inflation is driven by seasonal supply shortages and delayed government support to farmers. June-July, most of our food is planted, so what has been harvested and stored is what is coming out. In economics, when supply is low and demand remains, prices will go up.”

She explained that while imported foods such as rice maintained relatively stable prices throughout the year, locally grown crops including yam, cassava, plantains, bananas, maize, cowpea and vegetables followed seasonal patterns that created price volatility. She urged government to consider investing more in irrigation infrastructure to reduce the country’s over-reliance on rainfall, which would provide farmers with more flexibility in their planting schedules.

Ghana’s inflation rate has declined for the fifth consecutive month, dropping to 18.4 per cent in May 2025, the lowest level recorded since February 2022, the latest data from the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has revealed. The May figure, which signifies a considerable 2.8 percentage points which decreased from the 21.2 per cent recorded in April 2025, shows continued economic recovery influenced by tighter financial conditions policy, a strengthened cedi and strengthened investor confidence.

The inflation figures exposed significant regional inequalities across the country. The Upper West Region recorded the highest 12-month comparison inflation rate of 38.1 per cent, largely attributed to high costs in food, education and utilities. However, the Ahafo Region recorded the lowest inflation rate at 14.5 per cent. During a press conference in Accra last Wednesday, the Government Statistician, Dr Alhassan Iddrisu, said the reduction in fuel and transport prices was contributing to inflation.

READ: Ghana’s economy recovers with 5.3% GDP Q1 growth, led by services and agriculture