Ghana secures $18.8m grant from AfDB to boost rice production, target self-sufficiency by 2028

• The AfDB approved an $18.8 million grant to help Ghana achieve rice self-sufficiency by 2028.

• The REWARD project aims to develop 3,200 hectares of farmland, improve yields and benefit more than 20,000 smallholder farmers.

• Ghana currently meets about 56% of its rice demand through local production and spends approximately $500 million annually on rice imports, according to GNA.

Ghana has secured an $18.8 million grant from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to increase local rice production and help the country achieve rice self-sufficiency by 2028.

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According to Ghana News Agency, the funding is intended to support rice cultivation, seed production, processing and storage under the Regional West Africa Resilient Rice Value Chains Development Project, known as REWARD.

Also, the project aims to reduce Ghana's dependence on imported rice by helping farmers produce more, improving processing facilities and reducing losses after harvesting. The project will develop 3,200 hectares of land for rice cultivation in the Northern Savannah Ecological Zone.

It also aims to increase rice yields from 3.5 to 4.5 metric tonnes per hectare which means that farmers will be expected to harvest more rice from the same area of land.

More than 20,000 smallholder farmers in selected districts are expected to benefit directly from the project.

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The grant will also support seed centres with cleaning equipment and provide farmers with machinery such as rice transplanters, seed drills, rotary tillers, mini combine harvesters and boom sprayers.

In addition, 10 rice-processing centres will receive equipment, while hermetic storage facilities will be provided to help reduce losses caused by poor storage after harvesting.

The project is expected to connect farmers with markets and private-sector businesses, giving them better opportunities to sell their produce.

Despite recent growth in local rice production, Ghana still relies heavily on imported rice to meet demand.

Food and Agriculture Minister Eric Opoku said milled rice production increased from about 650,000 tonnes in 2024 to 960,000 tonnes in 2025. However, local production currently meets only about 56 per cent of national demand. Ghana spends approximately $500 million annually on rice imports.

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The government is targeting annual production of 3.31 million metric tonnes of paddy rice (harvested rice that has not yet been milled to remove its outer husk) by 2028 to achieve self-sufficiency. 

The Ministry of Food and Agriculture plans to formally launch the REWARD project in the first week of November, ahead of the 2027 farming season.