Arima Farms Ghana and the CSIR-Crops Research Institute (CRI) officially launched the Ghana Wheat Initiative, a groundbreaking project designed to promote domestic wheat production, reduce imports, and create economic opportunities for farmers.

In a statement published on its site, the research institution states that the initiative will see the collaboration of numerous partners including the local agricultural company Arima Farms and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT).

According to project managers, interventions will include research and development, seed improvement, training and capacity building for farmers, as well as collaboration with manufacturers. The long-term ambition is to create a local sector for wheat cultivation, in order to gradually reduce the country's dependence on imports.

“Ghana's heavy dependence on wheat imports is unsustainable in the long run. Through this initiative, the CSIR-CRI aims to identify and develop wheat varieties that can thrive in our local environment, thus guaranteeing a stable and local supply of this essential cereal” commented Maxwell Darko

Projections from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) indicate that Ghana is expected to consume 865,000 tons of wheat in 2024/2025, all of which will be imported. According to data from the Ghana Statistical Service, the bill associated with cereal purchases amounted to nearly 2.73 billion cedis (about 176 million USD)