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This report serves as a road map for U.S. companies exporting to Ecuador. While Ecuador is a challenging market for U.S. food and agricultural products, it is also one of opportunities. Domestic production cannot meet consumer demand, necessitating continued imports.

The retail industry is an important component of Ecuador’s economy. The 2022 forecasts for retail food sales is $24.9 billion and for consumer expenditures on food, beverages, and tobacco is $15.9 billion. Excellent sales prospects exist for U.S. food products to supply this sector.

Ghana has experienced a sudden economic downturn, a product of internal miscalculations and external shocks. Once ranked among the fastest growing economies in the world, Ghana has lost the steam that made it a shining example of a well-managed economy in Sub-Saharan Africa, and now finds itself in economic turmoil.

The Bank of Ghana restricted access to foreign exchange for a select list of imported products, including rice, poultry, vegetable oils, and pasta, among other items, to implement a directive from the President of Ghana.

The legal and regulatory situation to allow the planting of genetically engineered (GE) crops in Ecuador remains relatively the same as 2021. Commercial cultivation of GE crops is not permitted, however cultivation for research is allowed and an exception exists for GE products without recombinant or foreign DNA in the genome. A ruling by Ecuador’s Constitutional Court in early 2022 now makes it more difficult for the President to authorize exceptions to the GE ban.

Ghana’s National Biosafety Authority has eventually given the green light for the environmental release and placement on the market of the pod borer resistant (PBR) or Bt. Cowpea.

Marketing year (MY) 2022/23 palm kernel production is forecast at 62,000 metric tons (MT), down by about nine percent compared to Post’s MY2021/22 projection. This is mainly because of an annual three-month drought period (December-February) that negatively affects FFB yield, and consequently kernel yield.

The Government of Ghana (GOG) is pursuing the creation of a Grains Development Authority (GDA) to, among other objectives, further the development and regulation of the market for domestically produced grains and legumes.

Ghana’s economic growth was significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with real GDP growth of only 0.4 percent. Following the pandemic-induced slowdown, economic recovery was expected to grow in 2022 to 5.5 percent. However, recent economic...

Ghana's National Biosafety Authority approved the release of the GE crop BT Cowpea into the environment and market, marking the first GE crop to be approved for use in Ghana. The approval lasts for ten years and is renewable.

Estimated at a Retail Sale Price (RSP) value of about $350 million in 2021, Ghana’s dairy market presents bright prospects for suppliers of fat filled milk powder (FFMP) despite the recent growth in demand for non-dairy creamers due to their health and wellness tag.

The 2022 FAIRS Annual Country Report provides up to date information on the regulations and procedures for the importation of food and agricultural products to Ghana. A Government of Ghana policy review in March 2022 has increased import duties of general goods, including food and agricultural products.