The Director of the Soil Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (Ghana) (CSIR), Dr Collins Tay, has raised concerns over the declining state of Ghana’s soils, describing them as moderately poor and requiring urgent national attention.

Speaking on JoyBusiness’ Agric Business Month during an interview on the Super Morning Show on Joy FM on Wednesday, June 10, Dr Tay assessed the country’s soil health on a scale of one to ten, placing it at seven.

"I will say that seven or eight because we are really struggling to get healthy soils in Ghana," he said when asked to rate the state of the country's soil on the scale from one to ten.

He noted that the situation poses a growing risk to agricultural productivity, warning that the limited availability of fertile soils is constraining efforts to strengthen food production and address food insecurity.

"There is a lot we need to do as people when it comes to our soil resources conservation and management for improved agricultural productivity in Ghana, and for that matter, solve the food insecurity that we have," he said.

Dr Tay stressed that safeguarding soil health must become a central pillar of Ghana’s agricultural policy, urging sustained investment and coordinated action to restore soil fertility and ensure long-term food system resilience.

"Until we get back to the basics, where our soils in Ghana, especially the agricultural production soils, are given the necessary attention to be able to solve this food production in Ghana," he emphasised.