Welcome to the Official Website of the Ministry of Food & Agriculture, Ghana. West Africa.

BACKGROUND

Ashanti Region is one of the ten (10) administrative regions of Ghana; Kumasi is the regional capital and the second largest city in Ghana.
The Region lies approximately between longitude 0 15-2 25 West and Latitude 5 50 -7 40 North. The Region is almost centrally located within the country. It shares boundary with Brong Ahafo region to the North, Western region to the West, Central region to the South and Eastern and Volta regions to the East.

The region has a total population of  3, 612 950, representing 19.1 % of the national total (2000 census).

LAND USE, VEGETATION, SOILS AND CLIMATE

Agricultural Land
Agriculture is the dominant sector in most of the economics of the districts in the region. As a result, agricultural land is a major resource in the region. All the districts are endowed with abundant arable lands which support different types of cash crops such as cocoa, coffee, oil palm, cashew, citrus and food crops like cassava, plantain, rice, yam, cocoyam, maize, and vegetables.
About 1,463,340 hectares that is about 60% of the region’s surface area are considered arable and about 1,181,788 hectares that 81% are cultivated. Crops grown in the region are under the following catergories:
Cocoa and oil palm are largely cultivated in the forest areas such as Atwima Mponua, Sekyere East, Amansie West, Amansie Central, Ahafo Ano North, Bosomtwe Atwima Kwanwoma, Adansi South, Adansi North, Offinso, Ejisu Juaben, Asante Akim South and Ahafo Ano South districts.
Citrus is largely produced in ten (10) districts. These are Ahafo Ano South, Bosomtwe Atwima Kwanwoma, Adansi South, Obuasi Municipal, Adansi North, Sekyere East, Asante Akim South, Atwima Nwabiagya, Amansie East and Amansie Central. Coffee is produced in six (6) districts of the region. These include Bosomtwe Atwima Nkwanwoma, Adansi North, Adansi South, Asante Akim North, Asante Akim South and Amansie West. Even though maize and other food crops such as cassava, plantain, yam etc are produced in all the districts. Ejura Sekyeredumase dominates in the production of maize, yam, groundnuts and cowpea.

Vegetatiion
The southern districts of the region are covered with moist semi-deciduous forest whilst the guinea savanna is confined to the north eastern part of Sekyere East and northern parts of Ejura Sekyedumase. The Guinea Savanna consists of short deciduous and fire resistant trees. Reverine forests also occur along the Afram River and streams of the savanna zone.

Soil
Soils in Ashanti region are mainly of two types, viz forest ochrosols and savanna ochrosols. Forest ochrosols are found in the southern districts of Obuasi, Adansi South, Atwima Mponua, etc. whilst the savanna ochrosls are confined to the northern districts of the region, especially districts that fall within the Afram Plains that is Ejura Sekyedumase, Sekyere East and Asante Akim North.

Climate
- Mean Annual Rainfall
 The districts of the Region experience double maxima rainfall in a year, with peaks in May/June and October. Mean annual rainfall, in the average is between 120cm and 180cm. Obuasi in the southern part of the region experiences rainfall between 125cm and 175cm whilst Ejura Sekyedumase in the northern fringes of the region experiences rainfall between 120cm and 150cm.
 - Mean Annual Temperature
Mean annual temperature ranges between 25.50c in the southern districts and 320c in the northern parts of the region.
- Relative Humility
Humility is high averaging about 85% in the southern districts and 65% in the northern part of the region.

Aquaculture fish farming
The region has a pilot production center at Kona-Odumasi. At the moment there are four (4) species being cultured namely; Heterotis, Catfish (mudfish), Tilapia and Snakehead. The major ones being Tilapia and Catfish.

Fingerlings
In the year 2008 the total production of fingerlings was twenty-six thousand (26,000).
In 2009 the total number produced increased to four hundred and eleven thousand (411,000) .

Ponds:           
As at June ’09, there were three hundred and forty two (342) fish farms in the region, eight hundred and forty four (844) ponds with a surface area of one hundred and twenty six  (126) hectors.

TABLE. 6 Livestock/Poultry Population (Heads)  

Source:Veterinary Services, MoFA

Estimated livestock population figures were projections based on 1997 livestock census.

The region has a large raw material base including maize and soya beans, especially from Ejura area to feed the poultry industry, in 1993 the region accounted for 16.8% of the total poultry production in the country. Currently, the region has the largest number of poultry industry/farms in the country. These include Darko Farms, Mfum Farms, Asamoah Yamoah Farms, Asare Farms, etc. the region is also the home of large poultry feedmills including Agricare Limited. The region has also a stock of cattle, sheep, goats and pigs.

Crops Sector   
 Major Crops Performance in 2006, 2007 and 2008