Ghana plans 100,000 hectares for oil palm
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Starr FM
Cassiel Ato ForsononeVillage Initiative · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Cassiel Ato Forson: Acephoto · CC BY-SA 4.0Ghana plans 100,000 hectares of new oil palm plantations in five regions, with more than 250,000 jobs expected. The project would benefit from $500 million in World Bank financing, according to Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson.
Ghanaian Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson announced on 12 November 2026 that 100,000 hectares of land had been identified for new oil palm plantations in the Western, Central, Eastern, Volta and Ashanti regions. The programme is to link certified nurseries, nucleus estates and organised smallholders with mechanisation equipment, modern oil mills, refineries and processing activities, according to the 2027 budget presentation to Parliament.
The programme is expected to support more than 250,000 jobs and enable Ghana to meet its domestic palm oil needs before reaching export capacity by 2032, according to Cassiel Ato Forson. The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources is conducting the land acquisition process in accordance with practices that comply with international standards.
The government has reached a $500 million financing agreement with the World Bank, which is to be submitted to Parliament shortly. The financing provides for a five-year moratorium to account for the time needed for tree crops to reach maturity. The initiative is part of the government’s $3 billion commercial agriculture component, dedicated to developing integrated agricultural industries.
