Mahama Applauds US Tariff Cut for Ghana’s Farm Exports

President John Dramani Mahama praised the United States government on Saturday for lifting tariffs on a range of Ghanaian agricultural products during his address at the 41st Farmers Day Celebration in Ho, Volta Region.

The tariffs, which had covered cocoa, avocado, oranges, pepper, onions and yam, were removed, meaning Ghana’s exports to the United States will now attract zero duty, Mahama said.

“We don’t pay any tariff now,” the former president declared. “Our current volume of trade with the US in agricultural products is about one hundred million dollars, but we can significantly raise this because of the opportunity they’re giving us,” he added.

Mahama urged farmers and agri‑entrepreneurs to review the list of Ghana’s export commodities to the United States and to boost production capacities to capture the new market access.

He highlighted agriculture as a profitable venture that improves household income, noting that even while serving as president he continued to work the land himself.

“I encourage all my appointees and government officials to acquire some land and plant oil palm,” Mahama said. “If you do ten or twenty acres of oil palm, you will be surprised that it will give you more money than the salary you take every year.”

The president appealed to Ghanaians to invest in agriculture, stressing that increased production would not only raise foreign earnings but also supplement domestic incomes.

Analysts note that the tariff removal could broaden Ghana’s agricultural export base, potentially adding several million dollars to the annual trade balance if producers respond to the new incentive.

Image Source: MYJOYONLINE