Govt releases GH¢1.677 billion of MOFA 2026 budget 

The Government has released GH¢1.677 billion, representing 85 per cent of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture's (MoFA) approved 2026 budget for goods, services and capital expenditure.

The release is expected to support food production, agro-industrialisation and national food security through targeted investments in key agricultural interventions.

Mr Thomas Nyarko Ampem, Deputy Minister for Finance, announced this at the launch of the Ghana National Pact for Agriculture and Economic Transformation, Food Security and Employment (AGRICONNECT Compact) in Accra on Wednesday.

“I am pleased to confirm that we have released GH¢1.677 billion, representing 85 per cent of the approved 2026 Budget for Goods and Services and CAPEX for the Ministry of Food and Agriculture,” he said.

Mr Nyarko Ampem said the funding underscored the Government's commitment to transforming agriculture into a major driver of economic growth and job creation.

He said the resources were being channelled into interventions to improve productivity, mechanisation, irrigation and agricultural value chains.

The Deputy Minister disclosed that GH¢581.4 million had been allocated for the establishment of 50 Farmer Service Centres to support mechanisation and productivity, while GH¢110 million would be invested in irrigation infrastructure projects nationwide.

He said GH¢515.3 million had been earmarked for the supply of fertilisers and certified seeds to farmers, GH¢244.9 million for the Poultry Farm-to-Table Project, known as Nkoko Nkitinkiti, and GH¢200 million for investment through the National Food Buffer Stock Company to improve produce distribution and trading.

Mr Nyarko Ampem said agriculture remained central to Ghana's economic transformation agenda, stressing the need to reduce expenditure on food imports that could be produced locally.

He said the Government was determined to move agriculture “from subsistence to scale, from production to productivity, and from farming to agribusiness.”

The Deputy Minister said the interventions formed part of a broader fiscal strategy to reposition agriculture as a commercially viable sector capable of creating employment opportunities for the youth.

He said the Government was aligning budgetary releases with priority value-chain projects to ensure that “every cedi released translates directly into measurable output, reduced import dependence, and improved rural incomes.”

“We are no longer interested in budget approvals that sit on paper. The focus now is execution, impact and accountability. Agriculture must pay, and it must pay sustainably for our farmers and for the economy,” he emphasised.

Mr Nyarko Ampem said the Ministry of Finance was collaborating with MoFA to strengthen monitoring and evaluation systems to ensure adherence to implementation timelines and performance targets.

He said a digital tracking system was being introduced to monitor the disbursement and utilisation of agricultural funds, particularly at the district level, to enhance transparency and reduce leakages.

The event brought together policymakers, development partners, agribusiness leaders and farmer-based organisations.

GNA