Jun 16, 2026
I have spent much of my career sitting in rooms where Africa speaks with clarity about its ambition for agriculture. I have also spent much of my career watching that clarity dissipate before it reaches the farmer.
I remember one of my earliest engagements at the African Union, where ministers across the continent reaffirmed their commitment to the Malabo Declaration. The language was precise. Increase public investment, drive 6% agricultural growth, eliminate hunger. Years later, I sat in a different setting – a smallholder meeting in western Kenya – listening to farmers describe delayed fertilizer delivery, weak extension support and an inability to access even the most basic credit. The gap between those two rooms is the gap we must now close.
This gap is not a failure of ideas. It is a failure of execution. In my work supporting AGRA programmes, I have seen how often good policy falters at the point of delivery. Strategies are drafted but not costed. Budgets are allocated but not executed. Programmes are launched but not tracked. And most critically, farmers and SMEs, the very people policy is meant to serve, are left navigating systems that do not speak to each other.
For a farmer, the ‘implementation gap’ is not an abstract concept. It is the difference between receiving inputs in time for planting or not at all. For an agribusiness SME, it is the difference between securing working capital or shutting down a processing line. Innovative financing must reach the last mile, not just the conference room.
One lesson I have learned repeatedly is that innovation is often celebrated long before it is scaled. During a field visit in Zambia and Mozambique, I saw firsthand how a seemingly simple policy shift – a move from physical fertilizer distribution to a digital e-voucher system – transformed farmer experience. What began as a pilot reaching just over 200,000 farmers has now scaled to more than one million farmers nationwide, with improved transparency, faster delivery and stronger participation by private agro-dealers. For a farmer, this is what innovation looks like: not a new financial product in a report, but timely access to inputs through a system that works.
We often ask why commercial banks are not lending to agriculture despite the sector contributing up to 20–30% of Africa’s GDP and employing over 60% of the workforce. The better question to ask is: why should banks deploy more financing into agri‑food systems?
Banks respond rationally to the incentives we create. In Nigeria, the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) framework has helped unlock over ₦70 billion in agribusiness financing in 2025 alone. In Kenya, the Credit Guarantee Scheme has supported thousands of SMEs, reaching over 4,300 beneficiaries with strong repayment performance of 93%.
These are not isolated successes. They are proof that agriculture is bankable when policy shares risk, improves data and reduces transaction costs.
Policy, however, must build resilience to climate shocks whilst strengthening domestic food production systems. Climate resilience and food sovereignty are now inseparable. Across Africa, climate shocks are no longer future risks, they are daily realities. According to a 2025 World Meteorological Report, Africa has experienced its warmest decade on record, with droughts and floods increasingly disrupting food systems.
I have seen this up close in northern Ghana where erratic rainfall is shortening planting seasons and in Southern Africa where drought cycles are becoming more intense and less predictable. On the flipside, Morocco’s long-term investment in irrigation illustrates what is possible when policy aligns infrastructure and climate adaptation.
One of the most transformative policy shifts I have witnessed is the move toward data-driven governance. In the past, subsidy programmes often struggled with leakages and inefficiencies. Today, digital systems such as farmer registries, mobile payments and real-time tracking are making it possible to deliver support with far greater transparency and accountability. This is not just a technical upgrade. It is a fundamental shift in how states interact with farmers and markets.
I have seen both sides of this story: the high-level commitments, and the lived realities of farmers and SMEs. What is clear to me is that Africa already knows what needs to be done – move from dialogue to implementation.
The ultimate test for dialogue platforms such as the upcoming Financing Agri‑Food Systems Sustainably (FINAS) 2026 will not be the quality of its panels, but the strength of its outcomes. FINAS 2026 should champion the shift from dialogue to delivery unapologetically. The Summit must be clear that implementation is the most important form of agricultural finance policy.
Africa does not need another conference that diagnoses the problem. It needs a platform that catalyses solutions. If FINAS 2026 will align policy, finance and delivery into a coherent system, then it will not just be relevant. It will be catalytic. If not, it risks becoming just another room where Africa speaks powerfully, but farmers return home unchanged.
Jun 12, 2026
The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku has announced that Ghana will introduce a new policy linking rice import permits to investments in domestic rice production as part of an ambitious plan to achieve full rice self-sufficiency within the next decade.
Speaking at the opening of the two-day West Africa Rice Investment Roundtable in Accra, on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, the Minister said the Government would require rice importers to demonstrate progressive procurement from, and partnerships with, Ghanaian rice producers before being granted import licences.
“We are redirecting the existing value in the rice trade toward building our own productive capacity,” Opoku told participants, which included Ministers from across the region, development partners, financial institutions and private sector investors.
According to the Minister, Ghana currently consumes about 1.7 million tonnes of rice annually but produces only about 960,000 tonnes, leaving a deficit of roughly 751,000 tonnes and a self-sufficiency rate of 56 percent.
The shortfall costs the country an estimated $320 million annually in rice imports.
Eric Opoku said the government had completed advanced satellite-based geospatial mapping of rice-growing areas nationwide to identify investment opportunities and support the country’s rice development strategy.
The mapping exercise, conducted with support from the World Bank and in partnership with scientist Dr Kathryn Natindi and a NASA-backed programme, has identified approximately 515,000 acres of land under rice cultivation across major rice-producing zones.
“What this means for investors and businesses is straightforward. We are no longer offering perceived potential; we are offering verified, location-specific opportunities,” he said.
The Minister noted that Ghanaian rice farmers currently achieve average yields of about 3.4 tonnes per hectare, but productivity under irrigated systems has reached 6.5 tonnes per hectare, demonstrating the potential for significant output growth through improved seeds, irrigation, mechanisation and better agronomic practices.
He also highlighted post-harvest challenges, noting that rice milling recovery rates in Ghana stand at about 55 percent, below the global benchmark of 65 percent, resulting in annual losses estimated between $15 million and $90 million.
Under the new import-linked production framework, import quotas will be gradually reduced over the next 10 years based on verified increases in domestic production and private investment.
Eric Opoku stressed that the policy would not involve higher tariffs or import bans that could lead to shortages or higher consumer prices.
The Government projects that achieving full rice self-sufficiency could save Ghana more than $2 billion in foreign exchange over the next decade, attract over $400 million in private investment and create more than 200,000 jobs across farming, processing, distribution and related services.
He said the strategy would benefit both commercial farms and smallholder farmers, including women who play a central role in rice aggregation, processing and trade.
The announcement forms part of broader agricultural reforms under the government’s Feed Ghana programme, which includes investments in irrigation expansion, mechanisation, improved seed systems, fertiliser efficiency, post-harvest infrastructure and value addition.
The Government is also strengthening its “Eat Ghana Rice” campaign and establishing an inter-ministerial task force to combat rice smuggling through unauthorised border routes.
Eric Opoku called on investors, financial institutions and development partners attending the roundtable to support Ghana’s rice transformation agenda, saying the country had already mapped opportunities, aligned incentives and developed systems to monitor performance and ensure transparency.
“What remains is partnership,” he said. “And partnership is what we are waiting for.”
Jun 12, 2026
The Vice President, Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has called for large-scale investment across the rice value chain to transform agriculture, strengthen food security, and drive economic growth across West Africa.
Speaking on behalf of President John Mahama at the opening of the two-day West Africa Rice Investment Roundtable in Accra, on June 2, 2026, the Vice President said the gathering is not only about rice production but also about economic transformation, regional integration, and Africa’s ability to feed itself sustainably.
She noted that food security extends beyond agriculture and is closely linked to macroeconomic stability, social protection, national security, and geopolitical resilience.
“The disruptions of recent years, including climate shocks, export restrictions, trade tariffs, and geopolitical tensions, have exposed the fragility of global food systems,” she said. “Countries that import too much food also import vulnerability.”
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang highlighted West Africa’s vast agricultural potential, citing its fertile land, abundant water resources, entrepreneurial farmers, growing consumer markets, and youthful population. Despite these advantages, she observed that Africa continues to spend billions of dollars annually on food imports, including rice, while demand continues to rise.
According to her, the region’s challenge is not merely increasing rice production but mobilising the capital required to transform agriculture from subsistence farming into a modern commercial sector supported by integrated value chains.
“West Africa must see rice as a strategic economic asset,” she said, stressing that investment in the sector could create jobs, boost industrialisation, and strengthen economies against future global shocks.
The Vice President said Ghana’s Agriculture for Economic Transformation Agenda, which forms part of the government’s broader economic recovery programme, is focused on building integrated agricultural value chains and linking production to processing, logistics, exports, and agro-industrial development.
She noted that Ghana’s improving macroeconomic environment is helping to lay the foundation for agricultural transformation and attracting long-term investment.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang emphasised that unlocking West Africa’s rice potential would require “transformational capital” that is patient, competitive, infrastructure-driven, and capable of strengthening entire agricultural systems.
She called for investments in irrigation, agro-processing, research, climate-smart agriculture, and other critical areas that would support sustainable production and value addition.
“Put simply, this means financing agriculture as an industry,” she said.
The Vice President further underscored the importance of partnerships among governments, private sector players, development finance institutions, sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, commercial banks, and institutional investors to drive agricultural transformation.
She also stressed the need for climate-conscious investments, warning that climate variability continues to affect rainfall patterns, productivity, and food systems across the Sahel and coastal West Africa.
“Africa’s agricultural future should be viewed not only through the lens of vulnerability but also through the lens of growth,” she stated, describing the sector as one of the continent’s greatest opportunities for investment, industrial development, and export expansion.
The Vice President said the changing global food economy presents an opportunity for Africa to position itself as a major production hub as demand grows and food resilience becomes increasingly strategic.
She urged West African countries to pursue ambitious agricultural development strategies similar to nations that successfully transformed from food-deficit economies into industrial powers.
Reaffirming Ghana’s commitment to the regional agenda, she said the country would continue to strengthen policy coordination, improve infrastructure, deepen regional cooperation, and create an enabling environment for long-term investment across the rice value chain.
She called for stronger partnerships to ensure Africa’s food future is secured through local production and sustainable investment.
“The future of African food security must be grown in African soil, financed by beneficial partnerships, powered by African enterprise, and sustained through our collective commitment,” she said.
The West Africa Rice Investment Roundtable brings together policymakers, development partners, investors, agribusiness leaders, and other stakeholders to explore opportunities for investment and collaboration aimed at boosting rice production and food security across the region.
Jun 12, 2026
President John Dramani Mahama has highlighted agriculture as a central pillar of Ghana’s development agenda and identified Belarus as a valuable partner in efforts to modernise the sector through mechanisation, technology transfer, research, and investment.
He also outlined opportunities for expanded collaboration in education, renewable energy, trade, industry, and other areas critical to sustainable economic growth.
President Mahama said these when he paid a State Visit to the Republic of Belarus. He held a tête-à-tête meeting with President Alexander Lukashenko, followed by bilateral discussions between the delegations of both countries aimed at strengthening cooperation across key sectors of their economies.
The engagements culminated in the signing of three Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), marking an important step in advancing Ghana-Belarus relations. The agreements cover the establishment of a Joint Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation, collaboration between the Chambers of Commerce of both countries, and enhanced cooperation in the field of agriculture.
The MoUs were signed on behalf of Ghana by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa; Ghana’s Ambassador to the Russian Federation, Mr. Jehu Appiah; and the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Hon. Eric Opoku.
Addressing a joint press conference after the talks, President Mahama described the visit as a significant milestone in the relationship between Ghana and Belarus, emphasizing the shared commitment of both countries to deepen cooperation based on mutual respect, equality, and practical outcomes.
President Mahama noted that the agreements signed provide a framework for stronger engagement between state institutions and the private sectors of both countries, creating new opportunities for investment, innovation, and job creation.
He expressed confidence that the outcomes of the visit would usher in a new chapter in Ghana-Belarus relations, translating shared aspirations into concrete initiatives that deliver lasting benefits for the people of both nations.
Jun 12, 2026
More than 600 young women from communities across the Savelugu Municipality gathered at the Diari School Park on June 6, 2026, for a pre-season durbar under the Harnessing Agricultural Productivity and Prosperity for Youth (HAPPY) Programme, signalling a growing interest among women in commercial agriculture and agribusiness.
The event, organised by Newage Agric Solutions Ltd., forms part of efforts to prepare participants for the 2026 soybean and rice production season.
The HAPPY Programme, a four-year partnership between the Mastercard Foundation and Agri-Impact Limited, is being implemented by an eight-member consortium, including Newage Agric Solutions Ltd., to create employment opportunities for young people, particularly women, in the rice, soybean, tomato and poultry value chains.
Addressing the gathering, the Diare Lana, Naa Abukari, encouraged the young women to take advantage of opportunities within the agricultural sector and position themselves as drivers of economic transformation in their communities.
The Municipal Director of Agriculture for Savelugu, Mr Baba Musah, also underscored the critical role of women in achieving food security and sustainable agricultural growth, urging participants to adopt modern farming practices and utilise extension services available under the programme.
Participants received training and guidance on production planning, input access, farm management and agronomic best practices. Extension officers and technical experts also engaged them on strategies to improve productivity and manage farming risks.
Several attendees described the initiative as an important platform that is helping to remove barriers that have historically limited women’s participation in commercial agriculture.
The General Manager of Newage Agric Solutions Ltd., Mr Martin Tettey Nartey, said the turnout reflected a growing determination among young women to view agriculture not only as a source of livelihood but as a viable business venture.
“The overwhelming turnout of over 600 young women is evidence of a growing appetite among women to embrace agriculture not only as a livelihood but as a business capable of generating wealth and creating employment,” he said.
Stakeholders expressed optimism that the programme will contribute to increased productivity, economic empowerment and long-term transformation within farming communities across the Northern Region.
Source: myjoyonline.com
