Oct 1, 2026
The Parliamentary Committee on Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs has commended the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) for its significant financial turnaround, moving from a debt position of about GH¢20 million to recording more than GH¢96 million in profit in 2025.
Chairman of the Committee, Dr Godfred Seidu Jasaw, made the commendation during a working visit to NAFCO’s regional office in Kumasi.
He said the development demonstrated the company’s improved financial management and strengthened its capacity to deliver on its mandate of ensuring food security and managing strategic food reserves.
Dr Jasaw said the Committee was encouraged by the progress and stressed the importance of sustaining the gains made by NAFCO.
He urged the management and staff to continue implementing measures that promote efficiency, accountability and prudent use of resources while ensuring that the company remains responsive to the needs of farmers and consumers.
The working visit formed part of the Committee’s engagement with institutions under its oversight to assess their operations and performance.
The Committee said it would continue to support efforts that strengthen NAFCO’s operations and contribute to Ghana’s food security, while encouraging the company to build on its improved financial position.
Source:https://www.myjoyonline.com/
Sep 29, 2026
The meeting focused on deepening cooperation between the Ministry and traditional leaders, particularly in the dissemination of agricultural information and government interventions to farming communities.
The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, has paid a courtesy call on the Ga Mantse, Nii Teiko Tsuru II, as part of efforts to strengthen collaboration between the Ministry and Traditional Authorities in promoting agriculture and food security.
The meeting focused on deepening cooperation between the Ministry and traditional leaders, particularly in the dissemination of agricultural information and government interventions to farming communities.
The Ga Mantse, Nii Teiko Tsuru II, called for closer collaboration between the Ministry and Traditional Authorities to ensure that farmers and communities receive timely and accurate information on agricultural programmes and opportunities.
He also urged the Ministry to prioritise maize production, noting the crop’s importance to the diet and livelihoods of the people of the Ga State.
The Ga Mantse assured the Minister of the continued support and cooperation of the Ga State and warmly welcomed him as a son of the soil.
Responding, Eric Opoku said the Ministry’s vision was to transform Ghanaian agriculture from subsistence farming into a profitable and attractive business capable of creating sustainable jobs, particularly for the youth.
He highlighted what he described as significant gains under the government’s Feed Ghana Programme, noting that Ghana’s maize production reached more than 4.6 million tonnes in 2025, compared with an estimated national demand of about 3.6 million tonnes.
The Minister said the government would continue to implement measures aimed at increasing agricultural productivity, improving food security and creating opportunities for young people to participate meaningfully in the sector.
The courtesy call forms part of the Ministry’s broader engagement with Traditional Authorities and other stakeholders to strengthen partnerships in advancing Ghana’s agricultural development and food security.
Sep 28, 2026
Adequate allocations will be made in next year’s budget for the construction of silos for the storage of grains, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, has disclosed.
He said the country produced 4.6 million tonnes of maize last year against an estimated national demand of 3.6 million tonnes, creating a surplus of about one million tonnes.
He, therefore, urged the Ghana Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) to play a critical role in putting up many silos to store the growing level of cereal production in the country. Ghananews platform
Mr Opoku was speaking at the first Annual General Meeting of NAFCO in Accra last Thursday.
The AGM which was held on the theme, “Strengthening Food Security through Strategic Partnership,” provided an opportunity for the company to present its annual reports and financial statements for the financial years from December 31, 2010, through December 31 last year and account to shareholders on the stewardship of the board and management.
NAFCO’s reserve
He said strengthening NAFCO’s capacity to mop up excess production would help create a reliable market for farmers while ensuring that increased domestic production did not translate into losses for producers.
The minister said NAFCO currently had 20,443 tonnes of grains in storage, describing the stock as a step towards rebuilding the country’s strategic food reserves.
He said his ministry had worked with the board and management to strengthen NAFCO’s operations and rebuild its reserves after years of financial and operational constraints.
Mr Opoku also disclosed that the government had directed NAFCO to release 50,000 bags of grains to settle the country’s outstanding obligation to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
He recounted that in 2018, the country borrowed grains from ECOWAS to support the School Feeding Programme.
“Today, by the grace of God and with the prudent management of the company, we have been able to procure enough, more than enough, for us to pay back what we borrowed,” he said.
The minister further directed NAFCO to ensure that suppliers contracted to support public feeding programmes purchased food directly from Ghanaian farmers rather than relying on imported produce.
Mr Opoku said purchasing imported food for programmes such as Free SHS undermined local production because the expenditure created jobs outside the country while reducing demand for locally produced food.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NAFCO, Mr George Abradu-Otoo, said NAFCO had recorded profits in some previous years, including 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022 and 2023, but the latest performance surpassed all previous results.
“The 2025 net profit before tax of GH¢91.7 million did not only erase a GH¢19.4 million loss posted the previous year, but it is the highest profit made by the company,” he said.
Mr Abradu-Otoo said the company’s gross profit margin also increased significantly from 1.61 per cent in 2024 to 13.96 per cent in 2025.
He attributed the improvement to stronger cost discipline and revenue growth.
He said NAFCO’s return on operating assets also rose from negative 63.80 per cent to positive 26.29 per cent, reflecting improved deployment and management of the company’s assets.
“Crowning these achievements, NAFCO paid GH¢20.3 million in taxes to the state in 2025, the highest annual tax contribution in its 16-year history,” he said.
Despite the improved financial performance, the CEO said the company continued to face operational risks, particularly in the area of working-capital management.
Source:https://www.graphic.com.gh/
Sep 25, 2026
President John Mahama says Ghana must urgently transition from exporting raw commodities while importing finished products that can increasingly be produced locally.
He says changing this pattern is critical to creating jobs, strengthening Ghanaian enterprises and expanding the productive base of the economy.
Speaking at the US-Ghana Presidential Roundtable, President Mahama said Ghana’s significant production of cocoa, gold, manganese and agricultural commodities must translate into greater value addition within the country.
“Ghana produces cocoa, gold, manganese, and many other commodities. Our farmers grow cashew nuts, shea fruits, vegetables, and grains, and yet too much still leaves our country in the raw form, while we import finished products that we could increasingly produce at home. This pattern must change if we are to create enough jobs and build stronger Ghanaian enterprises.”
He cited agriculture as a key area where Ghana can expand processing and manufacturing, particularly in cocoa, cashew, shea, horticulture, grains, poultry, livestock and food production.
According to President Mahama: “Processing more of what our farmers produce in Ghana creates a market for farmers, work for processors, businesses for suppliers, transporters, and jobs along the value chain.”
He also urged investors and Ghanaian businesses to look beyond the domestic market and position themselves to serve the wider African market.
President Mahama pointed to the African Continental Free Trade Area, AfCFTA, which brings together a continental market of more than 1.4 billion people, with its Secretariat headquartered in Accra.
He said companies establishing production capacity in Ghana should view the country as a base for accessing markets across West Africa and the wider continent as AfCFTA implementation progresses.
“Do not look at Ghana’s 34 million population only for what you can sell there.”
Source:https://www.citinewsroom.com/
Sep 25, 2026
The Ministry of Food and Agriculture and a Ghanaian-based agribusiness company, ABC Oyeasase Yie Ltd, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the latter to establish a fertiliser blending plant in the country.
The $50 million plant, to be sited in the Eastern Region, is expected to produce enough organic fertiliser for farmers not only in Ghana but the sub-region.Africans & Diaspora
The plant, with an annual capacity of 500,000 metric tonnes, is to support the national food security programme, which will feed into the company’s sustainable agriculture production strategy.
The sector minister, Eric Opoku and Director of ABC Oyeasase Yie Ltd, Samuel Adimado, signed for their respective institutions in Accra yesterday, and it was witnessed by the Managing Director of ABC Oyeasase Yie Ltd, Rev. Mark Nyantakyi.
In a brief statement, Mr Opoku encouraged the company to let the signing reflect on the ground by starting the project right away.
“We want to see real action on the ground. And so, you need to give us an assurance that after signing, within some days, we will see action on the ground.
“So that the ministry, after signing, will also prepare itself to take up some of your produce to support the Feed Ghana programme,” he said.
He said all over the world, agriculture was shifting towards organic, because food produced was meant for consumption, “and even before production, we need to protect the health of the soil”.
“With organic fertiliser, we are able to protect the health of the soil and then make it more productive so that we can maximise our yield. It is also environmentally friendly,” the minister said.
Organic fertiliser
For his part, Mr Adimado said all was set for the commencement of the plant, adding, “All that is required to kick-start is ready, and that is why we are here to sign the MoU”.
Mr Adimado gave the assurance that the signing of the MoU would not be a talk shop, but that the business plan and the financing sourcing would be enough for a full-fledged fertiliser blending facility.
He explained that “this fertiliser is organic-based, which means that it will not only feed the plants but also take care of the soil”.
“We need a farming system that will protect the soil, as well as feed the plant,” Mr Adimado added.
He explained that the source of the bulk of the fertiliser would be from the sub-region, and it would also help in the regional supply of fertiliser.
“If you look at the AfCFTA model, we have positioned ourselves so that the fertiliser will not only feed our country, but also contribute to the West Africa sub-region,” he said
