Ghana’s Government Statistician, Dr. Alhassan Iddrisu, has expressed confidence that inflation will continue to decline later this year, supported by the country's upcoming major harvest season.

Speaking on PM Express Business Edition with George Wiafe on June 16, 2026, Dr. Iddrisu explained that food prices play a significant role in determining inflation, and the expected increase in agricultural output during the harvest period could help reduce price pressures.

“We are heading towards the main harvest season and historically that brings prices down. And that should give us some comfort,” he said.

His comments come at a time when food inflation has shown signs of increasing. According to recent data, food inflation rose from 2.2% in April 2026 to 3.3% in May 2026 on a year-on-year basis. Month-on-month food inflation also increased by 2.0% between April and May, marking the fastest monthly rise recorded in recent times.

The increase was largely driven by higher prices of tomatoes, ginger, charcoal, and other food items affected by supply challenges across the country.

Despite these developments, Dr. Iddrisu maintained that the overall situation remains manageable. He noted that while some food products experienced price increases, others recorded declines, resulting in a mixed picture rather than widespread price escalation.

“What we have seen is not all about explosive prices, but the situation has been mixed,” he explained.

He added that inflation continues to trend downward and expressed confidence that it will remain under control in the coming months.

Another factor expected to support inflation moderation is the recent appreciation of the Ghana cedi. According to Dr. Iddrisu, a stronger local currency could lower the cost of imported food products and agricultural inputs used by farmers, helping to ease pressure on consumer prices.

Looking ahead, he urged the government to maintain fiscal discipline while increasing investments in critical areas such as food storage facilities, irrigation systems, transportation infrastructure, and market access across regions.

“We believe that if these measures are implemented, they could help deal with any unforeseen circumstances in the coming months that may affect inflation,” he stated.

On the performance of the agricultural sector, Dr. Iddrisu acknowledged that growth slowed during the first quarter of 2026. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) figures showed that agriculture expanded by 4.4% during the period, compared to 6.6% in the same quarter of 2025.

The fishing subsector was the main area of concern, recording a contraction of 18.5% year-on-year and 3.8% quarter-on-quarter after seasonal adjustments.

However, Dr. Iddrisu emphasized that the broader agricultural sector remains on a positive path. He pointed out that apart from fishing, all other subsectors recorded moderate growth and are expected to benefit from seasonal production increases in the months ahead.

“We should note that apart from fishing that went down in terms of contracting, all the other subsectors recorded some moderate growth,” he said.

He called for targeted interventions and increased investment in the fishing industry to reverse its decline and strengthen the sector’s contribution to economic growth and food security.

According to him, addressing the structural challenges facing the fishing industry and expanding support for agriculture generally will be critical to sustaining growth, improving food availability, and keeping inflation on a downward path.