Ghana is scaling up irrigation infrastructure to strengthen food security, increase rice production, and reduce its reliance on food imports, government and World Bank officials have said.
The initiative was highlighted during a joint field visit by Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson and World Bank Division Director Robert Taliercio to the Kpong Irrigation Scheme, part of the West Africa Food System Resilience Program (FSRP).
Ghana currently spends about US$2 billion annually on food imports, a cost the government aims to cut by expanding domestic production. Under the programme, more than 8,000 hectares of land—including Kpong, Weta, Vea, Tanoso, and inland valleys—will be brought under irrigation to support year-round cultivation, particularly of rice.
At Kpong, a US$22.6 million World Bank–financed rehabilitation is modernising irrigation infrastructure across roughly 4,000 hectares, benefiting thousands of smallholder farmers. Improvements include upgraded canals, advanced water management systems, and better access roads.
The expansion supports Ghana’s Feed Ghana Programme and broader agricultural transformation agenda, with officials emphasising that improved irrigation will boost yields, create jobs, strengthen agribusiness value chains, and enhance climate resilience.
