Federation of Associations of Ghanaian Exporters (FAGE) Chief Executive Officer Abdul-Karim Dubiure has underscored the need for Ghana to prioritise agricultural production as the foundation for achieving food security and expanding exports.

Speaking in a media interview on July 10, 2026, ahead of the Ghana Horticulture Expo 2026, Dubiure said FAGE is collaborating with government and key stakeholders to strengthen the country's export infrastructure and agricultural value chains through improved access to land, affordable financing and farmer capacity building.

He said boosting production must come before any meaningful increase in exports.

"If we do not produce, we cannot export…without production, we cannot feed ourselves, and without producing more than our domestic needs, we cannot export."

Dubiure disclosed that FAGE is working with the Secretariat of the government's 24-hour economy initiative to address key constraints facing the agricultural sector.

According to him, the government is acquiring land banks in selected areas to support commercial farming and agro-processing.

"The 24-hour economy secretary is working to acquire land in certain areas for farming and agri-processing, and we're working with them on that," he said.

He identified access to affordable financing as another major challenge confronting agribusinesses and said FAGE is bringing together financial institutions at the Ghana Horticulture Expo to develop tailored financial solutions for exporters and farmers.

"We're inviting all the financial institutions to this programme so they understand our challenges and work with us to develop bespoke financial products for our members," he said.

Dubiure added that FAGE is also engaging local and international financial institutions, in collaboration with the 24-hour economy secretariat, to secure affordable funding for the sector.

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He further stressed that training and capacity building for farmers remain critical to improving productivity and enhancing Ghana's competitiveness in agricultural exports.

Referring to developments in the regional tomato market, Dubiure said Ghana must increase production to meet local demand and strengthen its export capacity.

"Given what Burkina Faso did with us in terms of tomatoes, we have no choice but to make sure that we produce enough to feed our people and to export," he said.

He expressed confidence that ongoing efforts to improve access to land, finance and technical support will help unlock the potential of Ghana's horticultural sector and advance the export objectives of the government's 24-hour economy agenda.

The upcoming expo, themed "From Soil to Sovereignty: Building Agricultural Self-Reliance," is scheduled to take place from September 3 to 5, 2026, at the Palms Convention Centre, La Palm Royal Beach Hotel.

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Production is the key to boosting Ghana's agricultural exports – FAGE CEO

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FAGE Chief Executive Officer Abdul-Karim Dubiure reveals that the organization is targeting $15bn in non-traditional exports by 2030 after surpassing government's 2027 goal

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