Govt urged to boost agriculture amid global trade uncertainties

Economic watchers are calling on the government to prioritise agricultural productivity as a buffer against growing global trade tensions.

This comes after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) revised its global economic growth forecast for 2025 down to 2.8%, a notable drop from the 3.3% projection made in January.

The downgrade is largely attributed to escalating trade disputes—especially between the United States and its trading partners—stemming from new tariffs.

Speaking in an interview, economist Prof. Godfred Bokpin highlighted the situation as a pivotal moment for Ghana to revamp its agricultural sector.

“If you look at Ghana, we’re not even producing enough to feed ourselves, let alone think about exporting,” Prof. Bokpin said. “We rely heavily on imports from countries like Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger—so there’s definitely room to grow.”

He emphasized that current challenges also present opportunities: “We have the potential to transform our economy through agriculture, agribusiness, and agro-processing. Once we achieve self-sufficiency, we can look toward exporting to neighbouring countries. Africa’s food deficit runs into billions of dollars—there’s a huge market waiting.”