Economist Professor Peter Quartey has called for increased investment in Ghana’s agriculture value chain as a key measure to sustain the country’s declining inflation trend and ensure long-term price stability.
According to him, the recent sharp drop in inflation is encouraging, but maintaining the gains will depend largely on strengthening domestic food production and supply systems.
His remarks follow the release of the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) data, which showed that Ghana’s inflation rate fell to 3.8 per cent in January 2026. The figure represents the 13th consecutive decline and the lowest rate recorded since the rebasing of prices in 2021.
Prof. Quartey noted that while the disinflation trend is positive, it must be supported by structural reforms, particularly in agriculture, to prevent future price shocks.
“Provided we can consolidate the stability, ensure that we can support the agriculture value chain, and ensure that we have irrigated agriculture, proper storage, and eliminate the middlemen, I think we can sustain it,” he said.
According to him, investments in irrigation, storage facilities, and efficient distribution networks will help stabilise food prices, reduce post-harvest losses, and improve access to affordable produce across the country.
The economist also highlighted concerns about regional inflation disparities, despite the overall national decline. The North East Region recorded the highest inflation rate at 11.2 per cent, while the Savannah Region posted the lowest at 2.6 per cent.
He described the situation as troubling, particularly because some of the regions experiencing higher inflation are major food-producing areas.
“You cannot have such high rates of inflation in a food-producing area. We ought to direct policies to correct these anomalies,” Prof. Quartey stressed.
