Dr Felix Mawuli Kamassah is Pres of the Vegetable Producers and Exporters Association
The nation’s high food prices could finally ease if government delivers on its plan to upgrade agricultural enclave roads, according to the President of the Vegetable Producers and Exporters Association of Ghana (VePEAG), Dr Felix Mawuli Kamassah.
Dr Kamassah described the 2026 Budget’s emphasis on feeder roads in food-growing communities as the most impactful policy shift for the sector.
He said deteriorated road networks remain one of the biggest and least-discussed drivers of food inflation, forcing farmers to transfer rising transport costs directly to consumers. Until rural access roads improve, he warned, market prices will remain high even when harvests are strong.
The VePEAG president who is also the Vice President of the Federation of Association of Ghanaian Exporters (FAGE) CEO of Marphlix Trust Ghana Limited noted that much of the country’s vegetables and staples originate from remote communities where access roads are in very poor condition.
Farmers often rely on tricycles or motor carts to transport produce to the nearest pickup point, paying high fees because of the rough terrain. By the time the aboboyaa (a three-wheeled motorised tricycle widely used in Ghana for transporting goods and people) moves plantain and vegetables to the roadside, the cost has already doubled, he said.
Drivers avoid farm communities due to the bad roads, so farmers absorb the extra cost—and eventually pass it on to consumers. These accumulated costs ultimately show up in higher prices in major markets across Accra, Kumasi and other cities.
The finance minister has identified poor feeder roads as a major contributor to food inflation, announcing a three-year plan to construct one thousand kilometres of agricultural enclave roads. The initiative aims to link farms directly to markets, reduce transport costs, cut post-harvest losses and strengthen food security.
Dr Kamassah welcomed the shift, saying that if the roads are completed on schedule, transport charges will fall and farmers will finally receive fair value for their work. VePEAG is tracking several of the priority roads mentioned in the budget and is hopeful that timelines will be met.
He also endorsed the budget’s commitment to supply agricultural machinery to fifty districts under the Farmer Service Centres, with more than four thousand machines expected. Timely access to mechanisation is crucial, he said. When farmers do not receive tractors or services early in the season, they lose valuable time and money, leading to lower yields and higher production costs that feed directly into market prices. The machinery promised, he stressed, must arrive early and be delivered on schedule.
Irrigation, he added, is equally critical as climate change makes rainfall increasingly unpredictable. The budget pledges to rehabilitate existing irrigation sites and expand infrastructure under the Ghana Irrigation Development Authority. If the country irrigates the land already available, production will rise and food prices will fall, he said. Many irrigation sites simply need rehabilitation to become fully productive again.
As President of an export association, Dr Kamassah noted that improved production stability and lower logistics costs will also strengthen Ghana’s competitiveness in international fresh-vegetable markets. Countries such as Kenya and Morocco already benefit from lower domestic logistics costs. Fixing roads and irrigation, he said, gives farmers the stability needed to produce competitively for both local and export markets.
Food inflation remains one of Ghana’s toughest economic challenges, with analysts pointing repeatedly to poor feeder roads, inefficient logistics and post-harvest losses as key drivers. Dr Kamassah’s remarks reinforce this: inflation often begins where good roads end.
With government committing to targeted investments in roads, mechanisation and irrigation, VePEAG believes the 2026 Budget has the right priorities. But Dr Kamassah stressed that impact will depend on delivery.
“We are happy with the budget,” he said. “But what matters is that the roads, the machines and the irrigation facilities are built on time. That is what will truly reduce food prices for the ordinary Ghanaian.”