Agric Ministry refutes Finance Ministry’s GH¢1.6bn allocation claim

The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) has rejected claims by the Ministry of Finance that it has released GH¢1.677 billion to support the ministry’s activities in 2026.

It described the announcement as inconsistent with official budget execution documents.

The rebuttal follows a statement by Deputy Finance Minister Thomas Nyarko Ampem during the launch of Ghana’s National Pact for Agricultural Transformation, Food Security and Employment (AgriConnect Compact), where he announced that the government had released GH¢1.677 billion, representing 85 percent of MOFA’s approved budget for Goods and Services and Capital Expenditure (CAPEX).

According to Nyarko Ampem, the disbursement demonstrates the Mahama administration’s commitment to agricultural transformation, food security, job creation and economic growth through targeted investments and flagship programmes.

However, in a statement issued by its Media Liaison Officer, Samuel Huntor, MOFA said the Finance Ministry’s claim does not align with the official allotment and budget execution records.

“The attention of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) has been drawn to claims by the Ministry of Finance that it has released GH¢1.6 billion, representing 85% of MOFA’s 2026 budget allocation. These claims do not align with the official budget execution documents issued by the Ministry of Finance itself,” the statement read in part.

MOFA explained that although the Finance Ministry issued a Commitment Authorization on February 15, it subsequently issued a First and Second Quarter Budget Allotment Letter on February 19, 2026, limiting the ministry’s expenditure for the first half of the year to GH¢910 million.

The ministry further stated that the accompanying allotment schedule restricted actual spending between January and June 2026 to approximately GH¢453 million, covering compensation, contractual obligations and operational activities.

According to the statement, allocations under the approved expenditure schedule included GH¢172.5 million for Farmer Service Centres, GH¢77.3 million for fertiliser and certified seeds, GH¢36.7 million for the Nkokonkitinkiti Programme, GH¢30 million for the National Food Buffer Stock Company, GH¢26.25 million for irrigation infrastructure and GH¢4.5 million for the Feed Ghana Programme.

MOFA stressed that it has not received any further communication authorising additional expenditures that would justify the Finance Ministry’s announcement.

“The question, therefore, remains straightforward: If the Ministry of Finance officially capped MOFA’s spending through its allotment system and has not issued any subsequent authorisation, where exactly is this GH¢1.6 billion figure coming from?” the statement queried.