Jun 24, 2026
Ghana’s Minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, has underscored the importance of collaboration between governments and development partners in transforming agriculture and improving rural livelihoods across Africa.
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Speaking as Special Guest of Honour at the JLIFAD/FIDA Regional Implementation Workshop and Regional Farmers’ Forum in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, the minister joined fellow Ministers of Food and Agriculture, policymakers, development experts and farmer organisations from West and Central African countries, including Nigeria, Mali, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Cameroon, Sierra Leone and Côte d’Ivoire.
The forum was held under the theme: “Efficient Delivery, Fostering Innovation and Scaling Up Operations for Greater Impact in West and Central Africa.”
During a high-level panel discussion involving Ministers of Food and Agriculture, Mr. Opoku responded to questions regarding the contribution of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to Ghana’s agricultural sector and the rationale behind the government’s free fertilizer intervention for smallholder farmers.
He described Ghana’s partnership with IFAD as a model of successful rural development, highlighting the achievements of the Rural Enterprises Programme (REP).
According to the Minister, the programme helped establish a nationwide ecosystem for rural enterprise development by providing credit facilities, matching grants, and access to investment capital through partnerships with local financial institutions.
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“Through this programme, thousands of rural entrepreneurs gained access to investment capital, enabling them to grow their businesses and create employment opportunities,” he said, adding that more than 200,000 households benefited from the initiative, with women constituting a significant proportion of beneficiaries.
The minister also outlined government’s efforts under the Feed Ghana Programme, which aims to strengthen food security and support agro-processing industries through increased local production.
He noted that post-harvest losses remain a major challenge, accounting for approximately 30 percent of agricultural produce and costing Ghana an estimated US$1.9 billion annually.
“The PROSPER Programme is complementing government efforts to improve production methods and post-harvest management in order to reduce these losses and increase productivity,” he stated.
The Minister further explained that the devastating droughts, floods and other climate-related disasters experienced in 2023 and 2024 exposed vulnerabilities within Ghana’s food systems, prompting a shift from predominantly rain-fed agriculture to irrigation-based farming.
He revealed that the government is collaborating with the PROSPER Programme to expand irrigation infrastructure, particularly small-scale irrigation facilities targeting smallholder farmers, women, and rural youth.
Touching on proposals for solar-powered irrigation systems, Mr. Opoku welcomed the recommendations and expressed Ghana’s readiness to work with stakeholders to develop a sustainable and efficient irrigation strategy that aligns with the country’s agricultural transformation agenda.
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Addressing concerns that the government’s free fertiliser distribution programme could conflict with market-based agricultural policies, the Minister clarified that the intervention was introduced as a temporary emergency measure rather than a permanent policy.
“Following the droughts, floods, and other disasters that affected our farmers, many lost their investments and livelihoods. Government had to provide an emergency cushion to support these farmers, stabilise food production, and help contain food inflation,” he explained.
He stressed that the programme was designed to help farmers recover from climate-related shocks and ensure continued food production.
He further announced that the government is establishing Farmers’ Service Centres across the country to provide mechanisation services, subsidised inputs, extension services, and other critical support to farmers.
According to him, these centres will strengthen farmer participation, improve productivity, and contribute to the modernisation of Ghana’s agricultural sector.
He emphasised that effective policymaking requires continuous monitoring, evaluation, and adaptation to changing circumstances.
“Had government not intervened with emergency measures, food inflation would likely have continued to rise. Today, however, we are beginning to see positive results as inflationary pressures ease and agricultural production recovers,” he said.
The regional forum provided an opportunity for participating countries to share experiences, exchange innovative ideas, and strengthen partnerships aimed at accelerating agricultural transformation, improving food security, and enhancing rural livelihoods across West and Central Africa.
Jun 24, 2026
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has graduated its first cohort of 70 young innovators under the inaugural CODE4FOOD Security Fellowship Programme aimed at equipping participants with advanced digital skills to support food security and sustainable agricultural development.
The programme provided the fellows with five months of intensive training in data analytics, artificial intelligence, machine learning and digital innovation, enabling them to develop practical solutions to challenges within Ghana’s food systems and drive innovation in agriculture.
The graduation on Friday , formed part of the CODE4FOOD Security Programme Demo Day organised by WFP in partnership with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), the Ministry of Communication, Digital, Technology and Innovations (MoCDTI), and Blossom Academy in Accra.
The fellowship graduated the first cohort of young innovators under the programme, which seeks to empower youth with technology driven solutions while supporting ghana’s digital agenda
Speaking at the event, the Country Director of WFP Ghana, Aurore Rusiga, said innovation and technology were critical to building food systems that were efficient, inclusive, sustainable and resilient to shocks.
According to her, Ghana’s food systems continued to face interconnected challenges, including unpredictable weather patterns, market inefficiencies, post harvest losses, rising production costs and limited access to timely information.
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She said such challenges required a rethinking of how agricultural produce was produced, stored, processed, transported and marketed, stressing that young people must play a central role in transforming the sector.
“These realities demonstrate why young people, with their creativity, energy and familiarity with technology, must be at the heart of the transformation,” she said.
Ms Rusiga commended the participants for successfully completing the intensive programme, describing their achievement as a reflection of discipline, commitment and determination.
She also praised Blossom Academy, trainers, mentors and technical experts for delivering a rigorous and industry relevant training programme that prepared participants for opportunities within the digital economy.
Ms Rusiga said the projects demonstrated the participants’ ability to translate knowledge into practical solutions capable of strengthening food systems, improving livelihoods and enhancing agricultural productivity.
The WFP Country Director assured that WFP and its partners would continue to create pathways for graduates to access employment and entrepreneurial opportunities.
She expressed appreciation to the government of the Republic of Korea and KOICA for supporting the initiative, noting that their investment would strengthen Ghana’s capacity to harness digital innovation for food security and sustainable development.
Ms Rusiga encouraged the graduates to continue upgrading their skills, adapt to emerging technologies and apply their knowledge responsibly to help build a future ready workforce capable of transforming agriculture and strengthening food security in Ghana.
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The fellows developed capstone projects that applied digital technologies to address food security challenges, including post harvest losses, market inefficiencies and limited access to agricultural data.
The projects were showcased during the event and assessed by a panel of judges and stakeholders, after which outstanding participants were recognised with awards in various categories.
According to the stakeholders, 16 participants had secured employment before the formal completion of the fellowship, demonstrating the programme’s strong link between digital skills development and job creation.
BY STEPHANIE BIRIKORANG
Jun 24, 2026
The Minister of Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, has urged Ghanaians to patronise locally processed food products to boost the capacities of local companies.
He said this was the only way by which the companies would be able to expand and create jobs for the teeming unemployed youth.
Speaking during a working visit to local food processing company, P&A Africa Foods Limited at Medie in Accra on Friday, Mr Opoku indicated that local manufacturing is the way to go if the Ghanaian economy was to be resilient.
According to him, Ghana spends about US$3 billion annually on importation of food, saying, “That is hundreds of jobs exported because the more we patronise imported food products, the more financially strong the manufacturers become and the more they expand”.
He noted that Ghanaian processed foods on the market may be more expensive than their foreign counterparts but that may be due to demand and supply “so the more we buy food products made here in Ghana, they’ll be able to produce more and their prices will eventually fall”.
The minister said government, on its part, would support local manufacturing firms with the capital for them to expand and meet local and international demands.
Farmers, Mr Opoku pointed out, have produced and there have been occasional gluts and buying alone for homes would not be sufficient to off-take from the farmers, hence the need for agro-processing.
“We are urging individuals with the capacity to go into processing and I’m happy to note that P&A foods has established a plant that can process maize, cassava, palm, eggs, and vegetables amongst others.
“This is laudable and part of the solution we are being faced with today in Ghana. We urge you to continue with the investment. We want to give you the assurance that the Ministry Of Food And Agriculture is with you and will do everything possible to help you expand,” he assured.
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Managing Director of P&A, Richard Mainoo, requested of government to construct modern warehouses to enhance storage and reduce post-harvest losses.
“Adequate storage infrastructure is essential to ensuring stable supply of raw materials throughout the year and sustaining continuous production under a 24-hour operating model,” he noted.
He lauded government for the 24-hour economy policy stating that it presents a unique opportunity for agro-processing companies to expand adding that the company was ready to sign onto the policy to work around the clock.
P&A Africa Foods Limited, a wholly Ghanaian own company, employs about 100 persons and exports to the US, Canada, and Europe.
BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI
Jun 23, 2026
Jun 22, 2026
The CEO of the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO), George Abradu-Otoo, says government’s decision to commit ¢300 million towards building a national grain reserve marks the beginning of a new era for food security in Ghana.
Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express Business Edition on Thursday, he described the intervention as unprecedented and a major policy shift, even though the amount falls far short of what is required to make a significant impact.
“Last year, Minister of Finance Dr Ato Forson announced that they were giving us further ¢200 million to continue the good work that we were doing, so in other words, so far we had only ¢300 million,” he said.
Mr Abradu-Otoo explained that the resources available to the Buffer Stock Company remain inadequate for large-scale grain purchases aimed at stabilising prices and protecting farmers from post-harvest losses.
“If we need to do proper meaningful mopping up of excess grains, we need no less than ¢1.5 billion, so you can imagine what ¢300 million has done,” he noted.
Despite the funding gap, he insisted the allocation should be viewed as an important first step.
“But it’s a good beginning because it hasn’t been done before. That’s where I draw my comfort from,” he said.
According to him, the significance of the initiative lies not only in the money committed but in government’s recognition of the need for a strategic national food reserve.
“It’s a good beginning for the government to even think in the first place that we need to have a national food reserve,” he stressed.
Mr Abradu-Otoo revealed that Ghana has long been an outlier within the West African sub-region for lacking a formal food reserve system.
“Because if you take the West African sub-region, Ghana is the only country that did not have a food reserve, can you believe that?” he said.
He added that even countries facing security and economic challenges have maintained grain reserves to cushion their populations against supply disruptions and food shortages.
“Interesting, we can also have Mali, etc, have a national food reserve,” he observed.
The Buffer Stock CEO believes that establishing a grain reserve will strengthen Ghana’s ability to respond to food production shocks, support farmers by purchasing surplus harvests, and improve national food security over the long term.
For him, the challenge now is to build on the initial investment and mobilise the additional resources needed to expand grain purchases to meaningful levels.
