Agricultural economist Professor Irene Egyir has called on the government to increase investment in commercial agriculture and rural infrastructure in the 2027 Budget, saying farmers need reliable roads, electricity, water and affordable credit to expand their businesses.
Speaking on JoyNews’ The Pulse ahead of the budget presentation on Thursday, November 12, the Associate Professor and Policy Advisor at the Ghana Association of Agricultural Economists said government spending should address the different stages of the agricultural value chain, including production, processing, input supply and distribution.
She welcomed initiatives aimed at improving access to education and credit, particularly for women in agriculture, but said more attention must be paid to the infrastructure needs of commercial farmers.
Prof Egyir said commercial farmers required more than direct financial support to operate successfully, stressing the importance of basic infrastructure in rural communities.
“I’m a commercial farmer. I may not need the money, but I will need my good roads, I will need my electricity, I will need my water. And therefore local economic development for commercial agriculture is what I am looking for,” she said.
She argued that agricultural investment should extend beyond production, processing and distribution to include the local economies in which farming activities take place.
Prof Egyir said she expected the government to increase funding to address outstanding projects and infrastructure needs.
“Last year, we were given about 14 billion. This year, we are looking for double that so that we can do a lot of the things that are uncompleted,” she said.
The agricultural economist also called for targeted support for young graduates who want to enter agriculture as entrepreneurs.
She said existing interventions such as free fertiliser were important for smallholder farmers but did not necessarily address the needs of graduates seeking to establish commercially viable agricultural businesses.
“The peasants will be supported. Yesterday, we said free fertiliser. That is not what my graduates are looking for. My graduates who want to go into agriculture want to go there as entrepreneurs doing business,” she said.
Prof Egyir further urged the government to maintain stable macroeconomic conditions to enable farmers to plan, borrow and manage their operating costs.
She called for access to loans at lower interest rates and sustained efforts to keep inflation under control.
“We want not only the infrastructure to be there, but I want to be motivated and encouraged, incentivised to borrow at a very minimum rate,” she said.
She added that persistent increases in the general price level could affect farmers’ purchasing decisions and distribution plans.
The 2027 Budget is scheduled to be presented by Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson on Thursday, November 12, 2026.
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