Deputy Minister for Finance, Thomas Nyarko Ampem, has disclosed that government has already released 85 percent of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture’s approved 2026 budget to accelerate food production, strengthen agro-industrialisation and improve food security across the country.

Speaking at the launch of the Ghana National Pact for Agriculture and Economic Transformation, Food Security and Employment (AGRICONNECT Compact) in Accra, Mr. Nyarko Ampem said the release of the funds demonstrated government’s strong commitment to transforming the agriculture sector into a major driver of economic growth and job creation.

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

According to him, the funds are being channelled into key interventions aimed at improving productivity, mechanisation, irrigation and agricultural value chains.
He explained that GH¢581.4 million had been allocated for the establishment of 50 Farmer Service Centres to support mechanisation and improve productivity, while GH¢110 million would be invested in irrigation infrastructure projects across the country.

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

Mr. Nyarko Ampem stressed that agriculture remained central to Ghana’s economic transformation agenda, noting that the country could not continue spending billions of dollars annually importing food products that could be produced locally.

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

He further indicated that the interventions form part of a broader fiscal strategy to reposition agriculture as a commercially viable sector capable of absorbing a significant portion of Ghana’s youthful labour force.

According to him, government is deliberately 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.

The Deputy Minister added that the Ministry of Finance is working closely with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to tighten monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, ensuring that implementing agencies adhere strictly to timelines and performance benchmarks.

He disclosed that a digital tracking system is being rolled out to monitor the disbursement and utilisation of agricultural funds, particularly at the district level, to reduce leakages and improve transparency.

The event brought together policymakers, development partners, agribusiness leaders and farmer-based organisations, all of whom underscored the need for sustained collaboration to achieve food security and economic transformation goals.