Reliance on imported inputs weakens Ghana’s Agriculture – Prof. Asuming

Economist Prof. Patrick Asuming has criticized Ghana’s dependence on imported agricultural inputs, calling it an unsustainable strategy.

Speaking on The Big Issue on Channel One TV with Selorm Adonoo, Prof. Asuming argued that relying on imported inputs undermines local value creation and weakens the country’s agricultural sector.

“If you have a strategy that says ‘I will depend on imported agricultural inputs’, I think that is not a sound strategy,” he stated.

“I will never be supportive of any strategy that says that we are going to build a factory that will depend on imported inputs. If you say you are going to import machinery, that will be understandable, but why on earth would you want to establish a factory and import? Then it means that a big part of the value you are generating is going to go to wherever they’re producing.”

Prof. Asuming stressed that relying on locally sourced agricultural inputs would create a market for Ghanaian farmers and strengthen the economy.

He also highlighted the need for better infrastructure, such as roads linking farms to processing facilities, to improve efficiency.

He further warned that Ghana’s currency volatility could worsen if the country continues importing raw materials it has the capacity to produce.

Prof. Asuming reiterated that prioritizing local agricultural inputs would boost domestic production, reduce dependence on imports, and create sustainable economic opportunities for Ghanaian farmers.

“With the behaviour of the Ghanaian currency, if you going to compound it with importing raw materials, in particular the ones we have the capacity to produce, that is where the concern is. We should be preserving the currency we generate for essential things, important things that we don’t have the opportunity to produce locally. If we are relying on our own imported inputs, then we’re providing a market for our farmers,” he emphasised.