Ghana
imported
$133
million
worth
of
key
ingredients
for
food
preparation
and
processing
last
year,
according
to
the
USDA’s
Food
Processing
Ingredients
Annual
Report
on
Ghana.
This
represents
a
48
percent
increase
from
the
$89.2
million
recorded
in
2022.
These
imports
primarily
consist
of
wheat
flour,
food
additives
and
spices,
bakery
goods,
food
colouring,
and
sweeteners.
The
report
also
noted
that
U.S.
exports
of
food
processing
ingredients
to
Ghana
reached
$2.21
million
last
year,
a
52
percent
increase
from
$1.45
million
in
2022.
This
makes
the
U.S.
the
12th
largest
supplier
of
food
processing
ingredients
to
Ghana,
with
a
market
share
of
less
than
three
percent.
The
report
suggests
that
imports
will
continue
to
grow
due
to
Ghana’s
underdeveloped
food
processing
sector,
which
struggles
to
meet
the
rising
demand
for
locally
produced
food
ingredients.
The
USDA
noted
that
there
are
fewer
than
200
agro-processing
firms
registered
and
certified
by
the
Food
and
Drugs
Authority
in
Ghana.
Despite
the
increasing
demand
for
processed
foods,
inefficient
production
and
inadequate
quality
of
local
raw
materials
hinder
the
development
of
a
robust
processing
industry.
“Retail
outlets
stock
lots
of
processed
foods
because
of
growing
demand,
changing
eating
habits
and
diets
of
the
growing
urban
and
middle-class
population.
This
represents
an
opportunity
for
U.S.
exporters,”
the
report
said.
The
USDA
explained
that
rapid
urbanization
and
economic
growth
are
driving
the
emergence
of
a
middle
class
that
favors
Western
brands,
products,
and
lifestyles.
“Most
consumers
in
Ghana
are
price-sensitive,
but
the
quality
is
never
overlooked
and
the
growing
middle-class
values
premium
products.
The
country
offers
expanding
market
opportunities
due
to
its
remarkable
record
of
political
stability
and
relatively
liberal
import
policies,”
it
added.
The
USDA
concluded
that
these
achievements
position
Ghana
as
a
potential
gateway
to
the
larger
West
African
market
for
U.S.
exports.