April 6, 2023

Ghana corn output to increase 20% in 2023/24

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) said Ghana's corn production is expected to increase by 20% in the marketing year from July 2023 through June 2024, Market Screener reported.

The USDA's Ghana annual grain and feed report said production is expected to increase to 3.6 million metric tonnes from 3.0 million in the previous marketing year.

The report said corn production in Ghana is primarily dependent on rainfall, and a favourable weather forecast compared to the previous year has given most farmers confidence in good yields for the 2023/24 season.

Higher prices have also prompted farmers who had switched to legume production to return to corn production, according to the report.

It is expected that the use of improved seeds will mitigate the effect of insufficient fertiliser application, or lack thereof in some cases, on yields.

The USDA report also said Ghana's corn imports are expected to remain unchanged in 2023/24 at 100,000 metric tonnes, the same as this year, due to an expected increase in domestic production.

The imported corn is primarily used for feed. Argentina, South Africa, Brazil, the US, Thailand, India, and the Ivory Coast are the top corn suppliers to Ghana.

-      Market Screener