Mahama Orders All Schools to Buy Only Made-in-Ghana Rice, Maize, Chicken, and Eggs-Ato Forson

The 2026 Budget Statement has unveiled a major policy direction from President John Mahama aimed at strengthening Ghana’s agricultural sector and stabilizing markets for local producers.

According to Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, the President has instructed every public educational institution—basic, secondary, and tertiary—to source key staple foods exclusively from Ghanaian farmers. The initiative, branded as part of a “Buy Ghana, Eat Ghana” national security strategy, is intended to provide farmers with a dependable market and encourage higher domestic production.

The Presidential Directive

Dr. Forson emphasized the firmness of the order, stating that President Mahama has mandated all schools to purchase only locally produced rice, maize, chicken, and eggs. This decision affects a considerable share of the national school feeding budget, covering primary and JHS schools as well as SHS under the Free SHS programme.

Institutions Responsible for Enforcing the Policy

To make sure this policy works, five agencies have been put on strict enforcement duty:

1. Ministry of Education

2. Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund)

3. School Feeding Programme

4. Free Secondary Education Secretariat

5. National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFBC)

NAFBC, as the state’s primary food storage and distribution entity, is expected to play a central role in coordinating large-scale procurement and supply of locally grown rice and -Chicken and Eggs: Poultry farmers, often undercut by cheaper imported frozen chicken, will benefit from assured demand within the school system.

By securing a steady market for these products, the government aims to boost local production, cut down on food import costs, and enhance the income security of crop and poultry farmers.

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