Ghana’s corn imports are projected to climb sharply in the 2025/2026 marketing year, rising to 500,000 metric tonnes.
This is a 67% increase over the 2024/2025 estimate, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Grain and Feed Annual 2025 Report.
Per the report, the jump follows the government’s decision to maintain the suspension of restrictions on corn imports, a policy first introduced by the previous government to ease supply pressures and stabilize prices.
Corn prices reached a high of GHȼ380 ($24.52) per 50kg bag in February 2025, prompting policymakers to keep the market open to imports in order to avert sharp hikes during the lean season.
The increased supply from imports is already driving prices down, offering relief to consumers and agribusinesses.
However, the policy has also raised concerns among local producers. Reports from the Afram Plains indicate a glut in maize production, with farmers struggling to find buyers for their harvests.
Some stakeholders within the agriculture value chain warn that without a clear strategy to balance imports with domestic production, farmers risk being crowded out of the market.
Anthony Morrison the CEO of the Chamber of Agribusiness Ghana has said: “We may have to look at a long-term strategy, not just beating down the production costs.”
The report also disclosed that the extended dry spells of 2024 severely constrained domestic output, leading to earlier plans to facilitate more than 300,000 MT in corn imports.
That administration ultimately relied on tax exemptions and private sector incentives to bring in corn, resulting in a nearly 18-fold increase in imports compared to the previous year’s levels.
