Honourable Ministers of State
Distinguished Guests,

Our Friends from the Media,
Fellow Citizens of Ghana,

1. Permit me to express profound appreciation for the opportunity to account to the good people of Ghana on the achievements of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture since our assumption of office.

2. Ghana’s agricultural landscape presents a paradox. On one hand, we are blessed with an abundance of arable land, a growing and youthful population, numerous inland water bodies, and favourable access to regional and international trade. These assets hold the promise of economic transformation and food sovereignty. On the other hand, our farmers and agribusinesses continue to face deep-rooted structural challenges such as persistent food insecurity, high post-harvest losses, climate change threats, limited mechanisation, and fragmented value chains that suppress growth and discourage investment.

3. It is against this backdrop that the Government, under the visionary leadership of H.E. John Dramani Mahama, launched the Agriculture for Economic Transformation Agenda (AETA) — a bold, practical, and forward-looking pathway to restructure and modernise Ghana’s agricultural sector.

4. The Feed Ghana Programme (FGP), a flagship programme under AETA being implemented by MOFA, serves as the main vehicle for actualising this transformative Agenda. While AETA sets the direction — focusing on productivity growth, agro-industrialisation, climate resilience, youth employment, and export diversification — Feed Ghana provides the implementation route. It brings the vision to life through practical interventions such as input delivery, irrigation expansion, farmer registration, value addition support, and digital agricultural systems. In simple terms, while AETA tells us what to do and why, Feed Ghana shows us how and where.

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

5. The urgency of this transformative agenda cannot be overemphasised. As of 7th January 2025, when the National Democratic Congress (NDC) assumed office, Ghana’s food import bill had reached alarming levels. About 3 billion dollars was spent annually on basic food items such as rice, poultry, vegetable oils, sugar and processed goods that could and should be produced locally. This not only drained our foreign exchange reserves but also eroded our food self-sufficiency and exposed us to external price shocks.

6. Indeed, food prices in Ghana have been on a relentless upward trajectory. Between 2022 and early 2025, the cost of basic food commodities more than doubled in several urban markets. The most telling indicator of this economic strain was the historic rise in food inflation, which peaked at an unprecedented 61 per cent in January 2023 under the previous administration. Though there were marginal reductions thereafter, food inflation remained dangerously high, significantly undermining purchasing power and increasing the cost of living for our people.

7. When the NDC government took over in January 2025, food inflation was 28.3 per cent, reflecting the fragile macroeconomic environment we inherited. Today, due to decisive leadership, prudent interventions, and efforts to stabilise the food system, food inflation has dropped significantly to 9.5 per cent as of October 2025, providing much-needed relief to households and industries alike. This turnaround is a testament to the importance of resetting Ghana’s agricultural economy — and it begins with the right fundamentals.

FOUNDATIONAL ACTIONS UNDERTAKEN SINCE JANUARY 2025

8. From day one, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture moved to lay critical foundations that would ensure long-term productivity, sustainability, circularity, resilience, and import substitution. Among the most urgent interventions have been the following:
   
   a. Seed Production and Localisation

The recurring crisis of delay in the supply of imported seed — often arriving well after the planting season — demanded urgent redress. To tackle this, the Government has prioritised local seed production as a strategic imperative for food security. Without seed sovereignty, there can be no food security.

We recognise the immense potential of our research institutions in seed research, development, and testing, and the Ministry stands ready to collaborate with them as we work towards full seed sovereignty. From 2026, MoFA will only supply locally-sourced seeds to the Ghanaian farmers.

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, it is instructive to note that with the support of the Korea Plant Industries Association (KOPIA), Ghanaian farmers are undergoing intensive training in seed production. At the same time, the Korea Rural Cooperation (KRC) is developing irrigation infrastructure on 100 hectares of land to support rice seed production.

To ensure sustainability and affordability, the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT) has commissioned a 1MW solar farm to power the irrigation systems, with technical support from the Ministry of Energy. This project is expected to be completed in 2027. It will produce 10,000 tons of high-quality rice seed, and Ghana will be well on its way to rice seed independence.

Similarly, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), in collaboration with the Ghana Irrigation Development Authority (GIDA), is training rice seed producers in Weta, Botanga and Tono. In addition, a Memorandum of Understanding has been signed with the Government of the Netherlands to facilitate both technical and financial capacity building for the development of vegetable seed production in Ghana.

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen,  let me at this juncture seize the opportunity to express our unqualified appreciation to KOPIA for making available 300 tons of Agyapa Rice seed developed by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to support our rice farmers free of charge, and an additional 154 tons to support the lean season production.

b. Seed Testing Capacity

With support from AGRA, the Ministry has taken delivery of modern seed testing equipment for the Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Directorate (PPRSD) for quality assurance of locally produced and imported seeds.

c. Fertiliser Quality Control

AGRA has again supported the acquisition of fertiliser testing equipment for PPRSD, enhancing the Ministry’s ability to monitor and regulate fertiliser quality nationwide.

d. Soil Management

Ladies and gentlemen,

Effective soil management is indispensable for enhanced crop productivity. It is against this background that, in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), MoFA has taken delivery of state-of-the-art soil testing equipment, and the Soil Laboratory in Kumasi is being rehabilitated and retooled to international standards. Soil sampling and analysis across the country will commence in the early part of 2026. This initiative is crucial for developing soil-specific fertiliser blends and improving yield. It also enables us to determine crop suitability in specific areas for increased productivity.

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, FAO, MoFA and the Soil Research Institute of CSIR are collaborating to build a reliable scientific foundation for sustainable soil management and agricultural planning in Ghana.

e. Weather Information Systems – Building Climate Intelligence for Agriculture

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

Agricultural success today depends not only on land and labour, but on timely and accurate weather information. Climate variability and unpredictability are among the greatest risks our farmers face — and responding to these requires systems that generate, analyse, and disseminate data in real time.

The Ministry has made significant strides in transforming Ghana’s agro-meteorological landscape:

• Automated Weather Stations (AWS)

We have installed twenty (20) automated weather stations across the country under the Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMeT). These stations, unlike manual ones, collect data automatically 24/7, ensuring:

• Higher accuracy and consistency
• Faster data transmission to GMeT’s central database
• Elimination of manual dependency for readings
• Enhanced forecasting and climate modelling for disaster prevention and farm planning

9. Out of the 20 Automated Weather Stations, 11 are located in Senior High Schools, where Climate Clubs have been formed to promote environmental literacy and ownership. This does not only provides physical security for the instruments, but also educates the next generation about climate-smart agriculture.

10. The Automated Weather Stations allow us to provide farmers with precise and hyper-local advisories on rainfall patterns, temperature trends, wind conditions, and soil health - directly influencing planting, harvesting, and fertiliser application decisions.

11. To integrate and analyse data from both manual and automated weather stations, the Ministry is establishing a Management Information System (MIS). The system will enable real-time analysis, visualisation, and dissemination of weather forecasts to support cropping decisions, food system planning, and early warning mechanisms.

12. The supplier for the MIS has been shortlisted and the evaluation report has been submitted to the World Bank for approval. Once completed, this MIS will serve as the digital backbone of Ghana’s agro-meteorological intelligence.

• Digital Agro-Climate Advisory Services

13. Another groundbreaking initiative is the Climate Model Pilot, designed to strengthen early warning systems and improve farmers’ access to actionable digital advisories.

So far:

• 1,059 farmers across 15 regions have been receiving climate-smart agricultural advice via SMS and voice calls, helping them to prepare for planting and weather disruptions.

• The full launch of the climate model is scheduled for the first week of December 2025 and will reach tens of thousands more.

• Information Dissemination Infrastructure

14. To ensure that weather data reaches all farmers, regardless of location, the Ministry has secured a partnership with the Ministry of Communication to send SMS alerts free of charge to farmers. Local FM stations and Community Information Centres are being engaged to broadcast forecasts in local languages. Agricultural Extension Agents are being equipped with motorbikes to deliver forecasts directly to remote communities.

15. Through our growing network of almost 70,000 Community Commodity Farmer Cooperatives, this information is disseminated in real time to support timely action.

16. Furthermore, with the support of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Event Mobile Application Plus (EMA-i+), a modern tool that represents a new milestone in the journey of Ghana towards enhancing animal health surveillance, disease notification, and early warning systems has been developed and deployed to strengthen early detection and rapid response to livestock diseases (EMA-i+). This was launched on 25 September 2025. Under this system, once a farmer observes any abnormal symptoms, they can immediately log the case on the EMA-i+ platform, which transmits the report to the central diagnostic laboratory in Accra. The laboratory, now fully equipped and retooled, conducts rapid diagnostics and provides immediate feedback to guide treatment.

17. The EMA-i+ platform is protecting the investments of our farmers by ensuring timely intervention, reducing disease spread, and safeguarding animal health, environmental safety, and food quality.

18. With these comprehensive systems in place, Ghana is entering a new era of climate-smart agriculture, where technology, data, and local knowledge work hand-in-hand to safeguard the livelihoods of our farmers and the food security of our nation. This is agriculture anchored on data and technology.

Delivering the Agriculture for Economic Transformation Agenda Through the Feed Ghana Programme

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

19. To operationalise the Agriculture for Economic Transformation Agenda (AETA), MoFA has rolled out the Feed Ghana Programme (FGP) as the flagship implementation framework. This programme translates the high-level goals of AETA into visible, ground-level interventions that are restoring hope, reviving agricultural enterprises, and reclaiming Ghana’s food sovereignty. Under the Feed Ghana Programme, we want to achieve two important things:

• Food sufficiency to be able to feed every Ghanaian here from local resources, and
• Provide constant and uninterrupted supply of raw materials for industrial operations to support the government's broad policy of the 24-Hour Economy.

Allow me to walk you through the key pillars of the Feed Ghana Programme, detailing what we have achieved in the last ten months.

• Campaign to Stimulate National Interest in Agriculture – “Feed Ghana” Becomes a National Movement

 

20. The first leg of the Feed Ghana Programme is a nationwide campaign to stimulate patriotism, interest, and participation in agriculture. What began as a policy intervention has now evolved into a national movement — a rallying call to institutions, youth, and communities to take ownership of Ghana’s agricultural revival.

21. Under this campaign, several public and private institutions are actively engaged in institutional farming. These include:

• The Ghana Armed Forces
• The Ghana Prisons Service
• The National Service Authority
• 413 Senior High Schools, Junior High Schools, and Primary Schools
• Public Universities such as the University of Ghana, KNUST, UCC, UDS, Ho Technical University, University of Energy and Natural Resources, etc.
• Faith-Based Organisations, including Churches and Mosques

22. This growing participation is a testimony to the fact that today, the Feed Ghana Programme is currently the cynosure of all Ghanaians. It has rekindled a national spirit of food independence and restored dignity to farming.

• Home Gardening

23. As part of the Feed Ghana campaign, a clarion call has been made to all households to engage in Home Gardening to help reduce household expenditure on food, especially vegetables. The participation has been massive and incredible, even though the campaign has not achieved its full objectives, it has been a passable endeavour. To sustain this home gardening programme, MoFA is establishing nurseries at the District Departments of Agriculture across the country to improve household access to the seedlings of various vegetables.

• Irrigation for Wealth Creation – Ending Rain-Dependent Agriculture

24. A critical enabler for food sufficiency under the FGP is irrigation infrastructure. To ensure all year-round production and climate resilience, MoFA is aggressively shifting Ghana’s agriculture from rain-fed production to irrigation-based farming. This, in the wisdom of H. E. John Dramani Mahama, would facilitate our journey towards food security.

25. Key developments in the past nine months include:

• Construction of 10 new small dams
• Rehabilitation of 8 existing irrigation dams
• 250 solar-powered boreholes for farming communities and second-cycle schools across the five regions of the north, Bono and Ahafo regions.

26. We are also rehabilitating the following Irrigation Schemes:
    • Vea Irrigation Scheme in Bolgatanga and Bongo districts of Upper East Region. Land Size: 850 hectares.
    • Weta Irrigation Scheme in Ketu-North Municipal of the Volta Region. Land Size: 880 hectares.
    • Tanoso Irrigation Scheme in Techiman Municipal of the Bono East Region. Land size: 100 hectares.
    • Kpong Irrigation Scheme in Shai Osudoku and Lower Manya districts in the Greater Accra and Eastern regions. Land size: 930 hectares.
    • Ashaiman Irrigation Scheme in Greater Accra. Land Size: 200 hectares
    • Aveyime Irrigation Scheme in the Volta Region. Land Size: 245 hectares
    • Canada has donated 25 solar-powered boreholes 15 have been completed and the remaining 10 will be completed in the first quarter of 2026.
    • The European Union through the FAO have also donated 44 solar-powered boreholes for selected districts in the northern part of the country.
27. Processes have begun for the construction of the following new Inland Valleys for rice production:
    • Anunuso Inland Valley in Anunuso, Brofoyedu, Nkwawkwanua and Awaham communities in the Ashanti Region. Land size: 175 hectares.
    • Atonsu Inland Valley in Atonsu and Abramaso communities in Ashanti Region. Land size: 150 hectares.
    • Kawampe Inland Valley in Kwawampe, Tanfulto, Kaaka, Tadefufuo, Tahiru Akura, Chiranda, Atta Akura, and Abrewanko communities in the Bono East Region. Land size: 647 hectares.
    • Odaho & Odamu Inland Valleys in Yaw Nkrumah and Donuaso communities in the Ashanti Region. Land size: 114 hectares.
    • Waamu-Kumi Inland Valley in Waamu Kumi and Offinho communities in the Ashanti Region. Land size: 114 hectares.
28. Additionally, FSRP is supporting the implementation of several pipeline irrigation projects. These interventions are designed not only to support smallholders but also to anchor commercial farming clusters.

• Farmers’ Service Centres – Mechanisation for Modern Agriculture

29. Mechanisation is a fundamental requirement for modern agriculture. Under the Feed Ghana Programme, the Ministry is establishing Farmers’ Service Centres (FSCs) across the country.

30. Procurement processes will soon begin for the acquisition of over 660 tractors, 400 combine harvesters and related equipment. In total, over 4,000 pieces of agricultural machinery and implements are being mobilised to equip the first 50 FSCs. These centres will provide services such as land preparation, input supply, harvesting support, storage facilities, extension advisory services, market linkage and equipment leasing at affordable rates especially to smallholder farmers.

• Agricultural Extension Officers – Strengthening the Frontline of Knowledge Transfer

31. Ladies and gentlemen, the role of Agricultural Extension Officers cannot be overemphasised. They are the bridge between research and farming practices — bringing innovation and science to the farm gate.

32. However, the current Extension Agent to Farmer ratio in Ghana is far below the international standard. While the acceptable ratio is 1 AEA to 500 farmers, in Ghana, it is 1 AEA to over 1,500 farmers. This gap constrains knowledge transfer and adoption of modern agricultural practices.

33. To address this:

• MoFA plans to procure 540 motorbikes to facilitate AEA mobility. 150 of these motorbikes were distributed on Tuesday, 22nd July 2025.
• A total of 400 AEAs are being recruited as Feed Ghana Coordinators for all districts. Their motorbikes are also being readied for deployment. It is our hope that the Ghana Food Brigade will be launched before the end of December this year.
• In addition, 10,000 youth are being enrolled on the National Service scheme under a four-year programme. Each year, a portion of these youth will be retained as permanent Ministry staff to augment agricultural extension delivery. This is to clear the backlog of students who have completed the Ministry’s agricultural and veterinary colleges from 2015 up to date and have not been posted.

34. By investing in the frontline of service delivery, MoFA is cementing the foundation for modern, climate-smart and data-driven agriculture.

• Cooperatives – Building the Social Infrastructure for Economic Transformation

35. To ensure scale, coordination and inclusivity, MoFA is placing Community Commodity-Focused Farmer Cooperatives at the heart of our agricultural transformation. These cooperatives are not just for aggregation and marketing — they are being positioned as platforms for training, finance, mechanisation, input access, and climate adaptation.

36. As of 11th October 2025, a total of 70,000 Community Commodity-Focused Cooperatives have been established across the country.

37. These cooperatives are being integrated into every major intervention — from mechanisation to weather advisory — ensuring no farmer is left behind. This is to give the farmers a voice in all agricultural matters. Once they are into cooperatives, they can negotiate for reasonable prices for inputs and reasonable prices for their outputs. They can also enjoy the advantages of economies of scale as they live in the same area and produce the same commodity. They can share ideas and proffer solutions to challenges confronting them together.

• Value Addition – Private Sector as Engine of Agro-Industrialisation 

38. Value addition is essential for job creation, price stabilisation, and export diversification. Some notable private sector investments that MoFA will be linking to our well-organised Community Commodity-focused Farmer Cooperatives and FSCs to ensure a reliable supply of raw materials for processing include:

• Chiragia Farms Limited in Tono is installing rice processing equipment valued at USD 23,000, providing market access to rice farmers in Tono and North East regions.
• A2 Agro Allied Company is setting up a state-of-the-art poultry feed processing facility in Kaase, Ashanti Region.
  • Nadkansco Processing Limited is establishing an agro-industrial facility in Techiman to process
  • Obapack Company Ltd is also establishing an agro-industrial facility in Techiman to process Onion.
• A €154 million investment by the Government of Italy in partnership with BF International, aimed at transforming large-scale commercial agriculture in Ghana. Under this initiative, a 10,000-hectare irrigated model farm will be developed for the production of rice, maize, soya, and tomato on an all-year-round basis. As part of the project, CIHEAM Bari, an agency of the Italian Government, will collaborate with the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI) of the University of Ghana to establish a national seed bank, while partnering with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to implement a comprehensive soil testing and suitability programme. They will also build schools, hospitals, ICT centres, and community centres for all communities in the production enclaves.

39. Government, with the support of development partners, is setting up a new soya processing plant in Northern Ghana to process soybeans into soya cake and oil. While the oil is edible, the cake will contribute to a reduction in poultry feed costs in Ghana. The capacity of the soya plant is 40 metric tonnes per day at an estimated cost of 370,000 USD. This will provide guaranteed markets for soya farmers in northern Ghana. I am happy to report that the sod cutting ceremony will be done in early 2026.

40. Additional support is also being mobilised for the Shea Value Chain. In this regard, the PBC Shea Board has been inaugurated, and the PBC Shea Butter Factory established in 2015 by H.E. John Dramani Mahama and which collapsed in 2019 under the NPP government has been revamped. We now have a contract to supply shea butter to Netherlands and other countries. Ghana’s shea butter is considered premium in the world market, and we must expand our shea processing capacity to take advantage of the growing demand for shea butter. Steps are therefore being taken to restrict the export of raw shea nuts.

41. The Agence Française de Développement (AFD) is also providing resources under the Boost Ecological Transition Towards Enhanced Revenue (BETTER) Project for the development of the shea industry. A total of 4 million Euros is earmarked for the development of the shea industry.
    
    

• Vegetable Development Project (Yeredua) – Advancing Vegetable Production for Food Security and Import Substitution 

42. Distinguished Guests, Fellow Ghanaians, as part of Government’s broader agricultural diversification agenda, the Ministry is implementing the Vegetable Development Project (Yeredua) — a strategic intervention to transform the vegetable sub-sector and reduce the country’s dependence on imports. This project will be launched by H. E. John Dramani Mahama this coming Thursday 27th of November 2025, in Kukuom, in the Ahafo Region.

43. To address the issue of post-harvest glut and price volatility:

• Partnerships have been established with Farm-mate Tomato Company and the Tomato Women Association to off-take harvested produce at the farm gate.
• The Ministry is also promoting cluster farming models to ease aggregation and transport logistics for large-scale buyers, avoiding the inefficiencies associated with scattered smallholder farms.

44. With a generous grant support of USD 3.17 million from the Government of Norway, the Ministry is leading the implementation of a targeted tomato initiative focused on four interlinked pillars: seed development, certified seed production, productivity enhancement, and market systems development.

• Poultry Industry Revitalisation – Empowering Local Producers and Reducing Imports

Distinguished Guests, Fellow Ghanaians,

45. A critical pillar of the Feed Ghana Programme is the revitalisation of Ghana’s poultry industry — a sector with vast potential to drive import substitution, job creation, and national food sovereignty. In alignment with Government’s commitment to reduce Ghana’s annual poultry import bill — estimated between US$300 and US$400 million — a set of complementary interventions has been launched to boost both commercial and household-level poultry production.

46. Under the Poultry Industry Revitalisation Programme, three (3) interventions are being rolled out to scale Ghana’s poultry production, namely:

a. Poultry Farm to the Table Project - Anchor Farmers and Outgrower Support. - Under this programme, 50 anchor poultry farmers have been selected for 80,000 birds each, with       other logistical support. The target is to produce 4 million birds from this programme. 

b. The Poultry Intensification Programme: This programme is being implemented by FSRP. Under this programme, 500 small- to medium-scale poultry farmers, selected from across all regions, are being empowered to produce 3 million birds.

c. The ‘Nkoko Nketenkete’ Initiative – Backyard Poultry for Nutrition and Livelihoods: To enhance food security at the grassroots, the Ministry is rolling out the Nkoko Nketenkete Initiative, a Backyard Poultry Farming Programme targeting the production of a total of 3 million birds, with a strong focus on women and youth.

Under this initiative:

• Vulnerable households will be supported with pullets and basic production inputs.

• The objective is to improve household nutrition, enhance livelihoods, promote community-based food systems and whip up interest of Ghanaian women and youth in poultry production.

47. The Nkoko Nketenkete Programme was launched on 12^th November 2025 by H.E. the President of the Republic of Ghana for the immediate distribution of 3 million birds to all the constituencies of this country.

48. It must be noted that Thirteen thousand (13,000) farmers in twelve (12) selected districts have received 720,000 birds. The districts are: Tamale Metro, Wa Municipal, Nanton, Savelugu, Mion, Krachi East, Bawku West, West Gonja, Nandom, Sissala East, East Mamprusi, and Mamprugu Moagduri. In some cases, battery cages were distributed to support backyard poultry production. This was the pilot for the Ministry to appreciate the associated risk of the Nkoko Nketenkete programme. The programme has been very successful, and hence the need for immediate rollout.

49. This targeted intervention seeks to uplift vulnerable communities, particularly women-headed households, by enabling them to contribute meaningfully to local food production while improving nutrition and income security at the grassroots level.

50. Ladies and gentlemen, looking at the huge investment we are making in the poultry subsector, and the vigorous campaign for participation that the Ministry has launched, we anticipate that the nation is going to produce a lot of poultry in the coming months, hence our decision to set up a poultry processing factory in Bechem. The procurement processes for the factory have been completed, and the sod cutting ceremony will be performed this coming Thursday, 27 November 2025, by H. E. John Dramani Mahama.

51. Collectively, these poultry-focused interventions represent a coordinated national effort to:

• Substantially reduce Ghana’s reliance on imported poultry products
• Create sustainable employment opportunities for youth and women
• Improve access to affordable, protein-rich food
• Strengthen resilience across the domestic poultry value chain

52. The Ministry remains fully committed to empowering both large-scale poultry enterprises and smallholder farmers to reclaim the domestic poultry market and secure Ghana’s food future.

• Livestock Breeding and Dairy Systems

53. The Amrahia Diary Farms is receiving special attention within the Ministry’s broader agenda to enhance the nation’s livestock breeding and dairy systems.

54. The rehabilitation and restocking of the Amrahia dairy project is underway to produce milk, cheese and other related products to meet the nutritional needs of our people.

 

National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) 

55. One hundred million Ghana Cedis has been released to NAFCO to mop up excess produce in the market and store them against emergencies. For the first time, Ghana is building national food buffer against emergencies. This is to strengthen national preparedness against emergencies while stabilising market prices for both producers and consumers.

Tree Crops Development – Accelerating Industrialisation and Export Diversification

56. Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
    Tree crops continue to play a pivotal role in Ghana’s economic transformation agenda, serving as a key driver for industrialisation, export diversification, rural income generation, and job creation. Under the leadership of the Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA), significant progress has been made in promoting, regulating, and coordinating the development of six strategic cash crops — namely cashew, oil palm, rubber, shea, coconut, and mango. These commodities remain central to the Government’s plan to diversify exports, create employment, and improve livelihoods across all regions of the country.

Major Programmes and Interventions

57. Two flagship programmes are currently driving the implementation of TCDA’s mandate:

• The Ghana Tree Crops Diversification Project (TCDP) is a US$100 million initiative aimed at enhancing economic, social, and climate resilience in the cashew, coconut, and rubber value chains. Under this project:
  • Over 6 million elite seedlings are being distributed free of charge to 10,000 registered farmers on the Ghana Agricultural Actors’ Platform.
  • By 2026, distribution targets include 3 million cashew seedlings for 8,500 farmers, 2 million coconut seedlings for 1,200 farmers, and 1 million rubber seedlings for 300 farmers across selected districts.
  • Agro-input support packages are being provided to 10,000 farmers to increase productivity and enhance climate adaptation.
  • Fifteen processing enterprises in the cashew, rubber, and coconut sectors have been shortlisted to receive matching-grant support to expand processing capacity and generate employment.
  • Two research institutions are receiving logistical support, including pick-up vehicles, to strengthen field research and innovation in tree crops.
  • TCDA has also developed and operationalised a Policy Framework for a Social Development Unit and Child Labour Desk, ensuring gender inclusion, social safeguards, and the elimination of child labour within the tree crop sector.
  • Furthermore, a Grievance Redress Mechanism has been launched, with toll-free lines (0800 222 131 / 0800 242 444) and a web-based reporting system (https://grm.tcdagh.com/grievance_form) to promote transparency and accountability in project implementation.

The Ghana Private Sector Competitiveness Programme – Phase II

58. This is a CHF 9 million bilateral partnership between the Government of Ghana and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), implemented by NIRAS and Proforest. The programme focuses on enhancing trade competitiveness in the cashew and oil palm value chains.
    1. A national policy dialogue on cashew and oil palm was convened in Accra in July 2025, to harmonise policies and improve coordination among key stakeholders.
    2. A matching grant facility of CHF 850,000 has been established to support local processors in upgrading equipment and improving processing efficiency, among others.

59. Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
    the work of the Tree Crops Development Authority is a cornerstone of Ghana’s agricultural transformation. Through effective regulation, strategic partnerships, and targeted investments, TCDA is positioning the tree crops sub-sector as a driver of value addition, industrialisation, export growth, and sustainable livelihoods.

60. The Ministry remains committed to supporting TCDA to ensure that Ghana’s tree crops — from cashew to shea — become engines of national prosperity, contributing significantly to GDP growth, foreign exchange earnings, and the well-being of our farmers.

 

One Million USD Revolving Fund Unveiled to Strengthen Agricultural Development in Northern Region:

61. To ensure the sustainability of ongoing agricultural interventions in Northern Ghana, the Ministry has operationalised a US$1 million revolving fund to provide low-interest financial support to value chain actors across the agricultural ecosystem.

62. This fund is designed to enhance access to affordable credit, particularly for smallholder farmers, women, and youth, enabling them to expand their operations, improve productivity, and invest in modern farming practices. By facilitating continuous reinvestment, the revolving fund serves as a financial lifeline for producers, input dealers, aggregators, and processors within the Northern Savannah Ecological Zone.

63. Through this mechanism, the Ministry seeks to strengthen the financial resilience of farming communities and to ensure that beneficiaries of donor-supported projects such as the Savannah Investment Programme (SIP) and the Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme (GAFSP) continue to thrive even beyond the project life cycles.

64. This initiative forms part of Government’s broader commitment to building sustainable and inclusive rural economies, ensuring that progress in agricultural productivity is matched by improved access to finance and enterprise growth opportunities.

 

65. US$20 Million Agro-Input Distribution Project (Northern Ghana): Launched under the Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme (GAFSP) – Additional Financing to the Savannah Investment Programme to boost food and nutrition security.

66. Under the Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme (GAFSP) – Additional Financing to the Savannah Investment Programme, Government has launched a US$20 million Agro-Input Distribution Project aimed at boosting food and nutrition security across the Northern Savannah Ecological Zone.

67. The project, implemented in 12 districts across six regions (Northern, Savannah, North East, Upper East, Upper West, and Oti), targets 50,000 farming households, including 30,000 women and youth. It focuses on the production of key staples—maize, rice, soybean, cowpea, and groundnut—and promotes year-round vegetable cultivation through solar-powered micro-irrigation schemes for farmer groups and selected schools.

68. To strengthen the poultry value chain, the project also supports both household and commercial poultry production. This includes the distribution of:

• 50,000 four-week-old guinea keets to 5,000 households for backyard poultry production;
• 50,000 fourteen-week-old pullets to 500 female farmers for egg production; and
• 50,000 broilers and 50,000 guinea fowls to commercial poultry farmers at a 50% subsidy on Day-Old Chicks, complemented by feed, vaccines, and medication.

69. In addition, the project facilitates the distribution of critical fertiliser and seed inputs to participating districts, including:

• 46,400 bags (50kg) of NPK fertiliser for maize
• 1,080 bags (50kg) of fertiliser for rice
• 5,200 bags (50kg) of fertiliser for soybean
• 23,740 bags (50kg) of urea
• 15,460 bags (50kg) of organic fertiliser for vegetables
• 4,400 bags (50kg) of rice seed
• 520 bags (50kg) of soybean seed
• 100 bags (50kg) of cowpea seed
• 5,000 bags (50kg) of maize seed

70. This comprehensive support package is a testament to Government’s commitment to enhancing productivity, improving livelihoods, and ensuring national food security. The initiative, implemented with the technical support of the African Development Bank (AfDB) and generous funding from GAFSP, represents a strategic scale-up of proven interventions under the Savannah Investment Programme, fully aligned with the Feed Ghana Programme and Ghana’s Food Systems Transformation Agenda.

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

71. These initiatives collectively represent not just a reset, but a resurgence of Ghana’s agricultural sector. We are rebuilding the food system from the ground up — with resilience, sustainability, circularity and equity at the centre.

CONCLUSION – THE ROAD AHEAD FOR AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION

Distinguished Guests, Fellow Ghanaians,

72. The past ten months have been a period of urgent action, bold reforms, and determined implementation. Under the visionary leadership of H.E. John Dramani Mahama, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture has not only diagnosed the deep-rooted challenges of our agricultural system, but has also begun the necessary groundwork to restructure that system for the future.

73. From institutional farming campaigns, farmer cooperatives, irrigation development, value addition, agricultural mechanisation, to weather prediction systems, the Ministry has laid the critical cornerstones for a resilient, productive, and inclusive food economy.

But, Ladies and Gentlemen, our work is far from done.

74. Ghana still imports what we can grow.

75. Our rural youth still migrate in search of jobs that agriculture can provide.

76. Our farmers still face risks that can be prevented with the right investment, tools, information, and access, and our economy remains vulnerable to external shocks that a strong domestic food system can buffer.

77. That is why the Ministry's focus over the next year will be on the following key priorities:

• Consolidation and Expansion of Feed Ghana Interventions, including:
  • Scaling up irrigation and mechanisation coverage;
  • Deepening the integration of farmer cooperatives into all service delivery models; and
  • Operationalising the full chain of local seed production, certification, and distribution.
• Strengthening Agricultural Research and Innovation Systems by :
  • Modernising our research infrastructure in partnership with CSIR; and
  • Bridging the gap between research findings and field application through better-resourced AEAs and digital platforms.
• Public-Private Partnerships for Agro-Industrialisation to:
  • Expand the investment pipeline under SIP, SADEP and other frameworks; and
  • Promote inclusive value chains that engage women, youth, and smallholders.
• Climate Resilience and Sustainable Land Use for:
  • Rolling out Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) technologies across all districts; and
  • Leveraging digital tools and remote sensing for land restoration, planning, and resource optimisation.
• Job Creation and Youth Employment entailing the:
  • Acceleration of the National Service Agripreneur Track under the Feed Ghana Programme; and
  • Transitioning of successful service personnel into long-term agribusiness ventures and the public sector.
• Digitalisation of Agricultural Services for :
  • Operationalising agricultural data systems to support farmer registration, traceability, subsidy targeting, and market access;
  • Enhancing real-time data sharing among key stakeholders through digital dashboards and MIS platforms.

78. My brothers and Sisters, in all these endeavours, we remain guided by the vision of the President that agriculture must no longer be seen as a way of life, but as a business — a strategic growth sector that will drive employment, industrialisation, and food sovereignty for Ghana.

79. On behalf of the Ministry, I wish to assure His Excellency and the good people of Ghana that we are committed to delivering results with urgency, integrity, and accountability.

80. We are fully aware that the mandate we hold is not just administrative — it is generational. It is about transforming the fortunes of our farmers, empowering the youth, reducing our import dependency, and ensuring that every Ghanaian child, regardless of where they are born, can access nutritious, affordable and locally grown food.

81. Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, let me end by thanking all our partners — bilateral and multilateral institutions, traditional authorities, farmer-based organisations, private agribusinesses, and most importantly, the Ghanaian farmer whose resilience continues to inspire us all.

Let us move forward, not just with policy, but with purpose.

Let us Feed Ghana.

Let us Eat Ghana,

Let us  Restructure Agriculture

Let us Transform our Economy and

Let us Build the Future together.

Thank you, and may God bless our homeland, Ghana. 

Annexes

The 20 Automated Wheather Stations have been strategically installed in the following locations:

S/N	Region	District	Town	Institution
1	Upper East	Bongo	Bongo	District Agric Office
2	Upper West	Daffiama Bussie Issa	Issa	District Assembly
3	Ashanti	Offinso North	Akumadan	COCOBOD (Seed Growing Centre)
4	Ashanti	Bekwai Municipal	Bekwai	Bekwai SDA SHS
5	Bono	Banda	Bui	Bui Power Premises
6	Bono	Jaman South	Drobo	District Agric Office
7	Bono East	Nkoranza South	Nkoranza	Nkoranza South District Assembly
8	Bono East	Sene West	Kwame Danso	Sene West District Assembly
9	Oti	Krachi East	Dambai	Oti SHTS
10	Oti	Nkwanta North	Kpassa	Kpassa SHS
11	Central	KEEA	Komenda	Komenda SHTS
12	Central	Efutu Municipal	Winneba	Winneba SHS
13	Eastern	Okere	Adukrom	Nifa SHS
14	Eastern	Kwahu Afram Plains	Donkorkrom	Agric SHS
15	Eastern	Suhum Municipal	Suhum	Suhum Technical SHS
16	Volta	Central Tongu	Adidome	Adidome SHS
17	Volta	Kadjebi	Kadjebi	Kadjebi Asato SHS
18	Volta	South Dayi	Peki	Peki College of Education
19	Western	Amenfi West	Asankragwa	Municipal Agric Directorate Premises
20	Western	Jomoro	Half-Assini	Half-Assini SHS