By: Ama Joycelyn Tseyiboe
President John Dramani Mahama speaking at this year’s Farmers’ Day celebration on December 5,2025, highlighted that current lending rates for farmers are so high that many producers struggle to profit from their work, often “working for the bank, not for themselves.”
Women agriculturists particularly those engaged in farming and fishing were praised for raising concerns about access to credit at fair interest rates. The President says it is now prioritizing reforms aimed at lowering agricultural loan rates to single digits, below 10 %, to make financing more affordable.
This year’s Farmers’ Day theme, “Feed Ghana to Secure Our Future,” underscored the urgency of boosting domestic food production. With Ghana’s food import bill still hovering around three billion cedis, the president stressed the need to depend less on imports and strengthen local agricultural output.
According to the president , making loans cheaper and ensuring that farmers especially women can access financing at the right rates will play a critical role in reducing imports and building a more resilient, self-sufficient food system.
