Economist Prof. Patrick Asuming has criticized Ghana’s heavy dependence on imported agricultural inputs, calling it an unsustainable approach that undermines local value creation and weakens the agricultural sector.
In an interview, Prof. Asuming argued that relying on foreign inputs limits economic opportunities for Ghanaian farmers and drains value from the local economy.
“If your strategy is to depend on imported agricultural inputs, that is not a sound strategy,” he stated. “I can understand importing machinery, but why establish a factory that depends on imported raw materials? That means a significant portion of the value being created goes to foreign producers instead of benefiting our local economy.”
He emphasized that prioritizing locally sourced inputs would not only strengthen Ghana’s agriculture but also create a stable market for local farmers.
Additionally, he stressed the need for better infrastructure—such as improved road networks linking farms to processing facilities—to enhance efficiency and reduce post-harvest losses.
Prof. Asuming also warned that continued reliance on imports could worsen Ghana’s currency volatility, as foreign exchange reserves would be increasingly spent on purchasing agricultural inputs that the country has the capacity to produce.
“With the instability of the Ghanaian cedi, relying on imported raw materials—especially those we can produce locally—only compounds the problem,” he explained. “We should be preserving our foreign exchange for essentials we truly cannot produce, not for inputs that could be sourced right here. Investing in local production provides a sustainable market for our farmers and strengthens our economy.”
He reiterated the importance of prioritizing domestic agricultural inputs to boost local production, reduce import dependence, and create lasting economic opportunities for Ghanaian farmers.
