Oct 5, 2026
The CEO of the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO), George Abradu-Otoo, has called for increased investment in technology to strengthen food security interventions across Africa.
According to him, greater deployment of technology in agriculture is critical to achieving the continent’s food sufficiency goals.
Mr Abradu-Otoo made the call at a forum on biotechnology, ecosystems and food security during the 2026 International Forum on Industry and Technologies for Humans in Gelendzhik, Russia.
The two-day event, known as BIOPROM 2026, brought together scientists, policymakers, government officials and trade experts to examine the impact of biotechnology on health, science and food security.
Mr Abradu-Otoo identified Artificial Intelligence, drones, climate sensors, and advanced irrigation systems as technologies that could help improve agricultural productivity and strengthen food self-sufficiency.
He also commended the Ghanaian government for strengthening public policy on agriculture through initiatives aimed at stimulating and increasing production, including the Agriculture for Economic Transformation programme.
The forum was opened by Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister, Denis Manturov, who reiterated the government’s commitment to addressing challenges contributing to food insecurity in the region.
Mr Abradu-Otoo subsequently held discussions with Mr Manturov and other Russian government officials on issues related to agriculture, technology and food security.
Oct 5, 2026
The Norwegian government is supporting a programme aimed at making agrifood markets more accessible to soybean farmers and strengthening the soybean value chain in Ghana.
The €3 million initiative, known as the Making Agrifood Markets Accessible (MAMA) programme, is being implemented by IDH, AGRA, IITA and YARA.
Programme Director, Africa Food System Transformation at IDH, Ms Mascha Middlebeck, speaking at the launch of the MAMA programme, said the programme would build on earlier interventions to improve market access for small and medium-sized farmers and enterprises.
IDH, the lead implementer, will coordinate the programme; AGRA will lead policy dialogue and sector convening; IITA will provide agronomy, seed system and climate-smart extension support; while YARA will provide input supply and crop nutrition.
The three-year programme targets 10,000 smallholder farmers, with 60 per cent being women, creating 20,750 jobs and partnering with six SMEs to improve market access.
She said the programme had emerged from previous efforts that strengthened relationships among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), farmers and other stakeholders to improve access to soybean markets.
Ms Middlebeck said partnerships had also been strengthened with organisations including YARA, AGRA and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) to support the transformation of Ghana’s agrifood system.
She said soybean had become an important crop in Ghana, contributing to agriculture, food security, animal feed production and incomes, particularly for women and rural households.
She said despite its potential, smallholder farmers, SMEs, women and young people continued to face challenges, including limited access to finance, quality inputs, mechanisation, extension services and structured markets.
“Above all, there is limited access to structured, fair and competitive markets. Without access to markets, no incentives can be placed on farms and no incentives can change farming practices,” she said.
Ms Middlebeck said the MAMA programme would therefore establish stronger linkages between soybean farmers and major buyers while improving access to quality inputs, extension services and improved farming practices.
She said the programme would promote inclusive growth by increasing the participation of women and young people and ensuring equitable access to resources, markets and opportunities across the value chain.
Senior Programme Manager at IDH, Mr Rusmond Anyinah, said the programme would be implemented in 16 districts across the five northern regions, building on gains made through previous interventions.
He said earlier interventions had improved productivity through access to better seeds, fertiliser, farmer training and linkages between farmers and input suppliers.
Mr Anyinah said the programme was also projected to create about 20,000 on-farm and 750 off-farm jobs, supporting activities along the soybean value chain.
He said the programme had broader national economic significance, particularly in strengthening food security, creating employment, improving soil health and increasing the competitiveness of Ghana’s soybean production.
He said IDH would continue working with government institutions, development partners, private-sector actors and farmers to ensure that the programme delivered sustainable benefits and strengthened the soybean value chain.
Mr John Mikal Kvistad, the Norwegian Ambassador to Ghana, said the support, funded by Norwegian taxpayers, was aimed at improving market access and creating better returns for farmers and local businesses.
He said the initiative would improve access to quality seeds, better farming practices, markets and business opportunities, while contributing to food security, job creation and reduced dependence on imports.
The Ambassador said the success of the programme would depend on sustained collaboration among government, farmers, businesses and development partners.
Source:https://www.myjoyonline.com/norwegian-government-strengthens-soybean-value-chain-to-expand-market-access-for-farmers/
Oct 2, 2026
He said they are proposing changes to the procurement laws to require those spending public money to buy food from Ghanaian farmers.
The Minister of Finance Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, has said that the Ministry is proposing changes to the procurement laws to require those spending public money to buy food from Ghanaian farmers.
He makes the point that government money must support Ghanaian farmers and create Ghanaian jobs; hence this proposal.
In a post on his X page, the Finance Minister said “We are proposing changes to the procurement laws to require those spending public money to buy food from Ghanaian farmers. Government money must support Ghanaian farmers and create Ghanaian jobs.”
Dr Forson earlier urged businesses to invest with confidence, assuring them that the Government will sustain the gains made in stabilising Ghana’s economy.
Speaking during a meeting with the leadership of the Association of Ghana Industries and leading captains of industry, Dr Forson said the Government’s new blueprint for economic transformation would be announced in the 2027 Budget.
“Feel free to invest because we will sustain the gains. The golden era for Ghana is beginning, and our new blueprint will be announced in the 2027 Budget,” he said.
The Finance Minister said the substantial improvements in the macroeconomic environment would be protected and strengthened.
“That is why the 2027 Budget will move Ghana from stability to transformation,” he stated.
Dr Forson noted that President John Dramani Mahama had already announced plans to invest US$10 billion in strategic sectors over the next four years.
“We want to produce more, add value and create more jobs for the Ghanaian economy. This means addressing the fundamental challenges we face as a country,” he said.
He added that the Government had deliberately reduced the cost of capital and would continue working to drive it down further to support business expansion and investment.
Dr Forson also called on industry to support domestic revenue mobilisation to reduce the Government’s reliance on excessive borrowing.
“We need your support to raise the necessary revenue so that the Government does not borrow beyond its means, as we saw in 2022,” he said.
Source:https://3news.com/
Oct 2, 2026
Five colleges of agriculture in Ghana are witnessing a major transformation in teaching and learning with the introduction of digital technologies designed to prepare students for the changing demands of the agricultural sector.
The initiative, supported by the Korea International Cooperation Agency and the World Food Programme, in partnership with the Agric Ministry, will provide students and instructors access to digital climate-smart agricultural technologies.
The digital tools will ensure that agricultural professionals exiting these colleges are equipped with the skills and knowledge to effectively apply mechanization and digital technologies to improve productivity, efficiency, and resilience across the agricultural value chains.
The tools included 60 moisture meters, 60 soil testers, 60 greenhouse environmental-control learning kits, 60 IoT sensor education kits, weather station starter kits, and 60 GPS devices.
The package also included agricultural spraying and drone-flight simulation systems, as well as agricultural data-processing software.
Ghana’s agriculture continues to face challenges, including climate variability, declining productivity, pest and disease outbreaks, post-harvest losses and limited access to timely information and markets.
Across the world, technologies such as drones, Geographic Information Systems, IoT sensors, artificial intelligence, and digital farm-management platforms are increasingly being used to improve agricultural decision-making and productivity.
But their adoption in Ghana remains limited, particularly among smallholder farmers, partly because of gaps in digital skills, practical exposure, and access to appropriate technologies.
To help bridge that gap, a range of modern agricultural equipment has been provided to the five colleges of Agriculture including Kwadaso, Damongo, Wenchi, Ohawu, and Ejura.
Food and Agriculture Minister Eric Opoku explains the equipment is expected to give students hands-on experience with technologies increasingly being applied across the agricultural value chain.
“We are moving towards a future where farmers can assess soil conditions before applying nutrients; where weather information can inform decisions on planting and farm management; where soil moisture can be monitored to improve water-use efficiency and reduce losses; and where drones, sensors, digital platforms, and data analytics become practical tools for increasing productivity,” he noted.
The ceremony forms part of the KOICA-WFP partnership on Youth Economic Empowerment through Digitalisation for Resilience in Food and Nutrition Security and Improved Livelihoods.
Country Director for the World Food Program, Aurore Rusiga, explains the agriculture colleges were selected for support to strengthen their capacities which eventually influences the quality of agricultural services available to farmers.
“Agricultural colleges provide an important entry point for building capabilities of using technologies. They prepare many of the extension officers, agricultural technicians, professionals, and entrepreneurs who will work directly with farmers and other actors across the agricultural value chains,” she noted.
She continued that: “We want to ensure that agricultural professionals from these colleges are equipped with the skills and knowledge to effectively apply mechanization and digital technologies to improve productivity, efficiency and resilience across the agricultural value chains.”
Country Director for KOICA Ghana, Dong Wan Woo, is encouraging the colleges to integrate the technologies into practical training and ensure that students have meaningful opportunities to use them.
“The real value of this equipment depends on how it is used. We encourage the colleges to integrate these tools into practical training, maintain them properly, and give students meaningful opportunities to use them. KOICA remains committed to working with the government and people of Ghana for sustainable and inclusive development,” he said.
Instructors and tutors are also expected to undergo a three- to four-week practical drone-training programme with the Digital Agriculture Training Programme gradually rolled out to students across the five agricultural colleges.
The principal of the Kwadaso College of Agriculture, Albert Appiah Amoako, expressing the colleges’ gratitude for the items, highlighted how essential the tools are for their pedagogy in meeting the changing needs of the agricultural sector.
The agri-tech initiative builds on WFP’s support for practical skills development within Ghana’s agricultural colleges, which began in 2025 with the Post-Harvest Mechanization Training Programme.
Source:https://www.myjoyonline.com/
Oct 2, 2026
The Parliamentary Committee on Food, Agriculture, and Cocoa Affairs has called on the Minister for Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, to allocate funds for the timely completion of government flagship farmer service centers.
Under the project commissioned by President Mahama in March 2026, the government plans to construct about 275 Farmers Service Centres across the country within six months to provide smallholder farmers with access to farming inputs and equipment.
Chairman of the Committee, Dr Godfred Seidu Jasaw, made the call on October 1 when the Committee visited the project sites to assess progress and the work being undertaken.
Dr Jasaw said the Committee had seen progress on the ground and recognised the potential impact of the centres on agricultural development but stressed that the project could suffer further delays if contractors were not paid on time.
“Whatever it takes for the Minister of Finance to ensure that sustained financing is ring-fenced for the contractors on this project so that we don’t have further delays in the delivery of this project has not been honoured,” he said.
He therefore urged the Finance Minister to take the necessary steps to ensure that funding for the project was secured and contractors were able to continue work without disruption.
“And so respectfully, I want to urge the minister responsible for finance that your committee has come to the field, we have seen the work going on, we appreciate the input that delivering these centres will have on agricultural transformation, and we want to respectfully urge you to do whatever it takes to make sure financing is secure for them,” Dr Jasaw said.
He said the committee had been informed that a number of initiatives were being considered to support the project and expressed the hope that the necessary financing would be secured to prevent further delays.
The Committee’s intervention highlights the importance of timely financing to the delivery of the Farmers Service Centres, particularly as the project is intended to provide smallholder farmers with easier access to inputs and equipment.
Dr Jasaw said the Committee would continue to engage with the relevant stakeholders and monitor progress on the project to ensure that the centres are delivered as intended.
Source:https://www.myjoyonline.com/
Oct 1, 2026
Dr. Godfred Seidu Jasaw has called for a National Agriculture Development Fund to support Ghana’s food systems transformation.
Chairman of Parliament’s Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs Committee, Dr Godfred Seidu Jasaw, has called for the establishment of a National Agriculture Development Fund to accelerate Ghana’s food systems transformation agenda.
According to Dr Jasaw, a dedicated fund would provide sustainable financing for critical interventions across the agricultural value chain, strengthen food production and help address some of the structural challenges confronting the sector.
He made the call during a working visit by the Committee to the regional office of the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) in Kumasi.
Dr Jasaw also commended NAFCO for its improved financial performance, noting that the company had moved from a debt position of about GH¢20 million to recording more than GH¢96 million in profit in 2025.
He said the development demonstrated the importance of strengthening key institutions within Ghana’s agricultural sector to support food security and build a more resilient food system.
Dr Jasaw argued that alongside strengthening institutions such as NAFCO, Ghana needed dedicated and sustainable financing to drive investment across the agricultural value chain.
He said the proposed National Agriculture Development Fund could support investment in food production, storage, processing and other critical areas required to transform the country’s agricultural sector.
The Committee’s engagement with NAFCO forms part of efforts to assess the operations of institutions within the agricultural sector and identify measures to improve food production, storage and overall food security.
Source:https://starrfm.com.gh/
