Ghana to link 70,000 farmers to regional agri-solutions

The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) has pledged Ghana’s commitment to connecting West Africa’s agribusinesses and agri-solution providers to more than 70,000 Ghanaian farmers currently operating under the Feed Ghana Programme.

Bright Kwadzo Demordzi, National Coordinator of the Feed Ghana Programme, said this at the just-ended 2nd West Africa Agri Show on Wednesday, after inspecting several value chain products, services and machinery in the agriculture sector.

He explained that the move was aimed at transforming the region’s agricultural system while connecting farm produce to storage facilities, manufacturing companies and other value chain players to enhance food security and self-sufficiency.

He noted that many of the technologies and solutions on display at the show addressed critical areas such as productivity, irrigation and wealth creation, which aligned directly with the objectives of the Feed Ghana Programme.

“One of the major components of the Feed Ghana Programme is working directly with the farmers at the cooperative level. Currently, there are over 70,000 farmers in cooperatives across the country. So, we will collaborate and connect them to the solutions,” he said.

Demordzi noted that achieving transformation required specific interventions, including measures to increase productivity, promote crop development and reduce post-harvest losses, which the Feed Ghana Programme was implementing.

He encouraged exhibitors to move beyond mere sales and conduct practical field demonstrations and trials directly with farmers to prove the efficacy of their solutions and encourage stronger buy-in and lasting adoption.

He asked agribusinesses and other stakeholders to prioritise farmers in their operations, adding that farmers’ profitability and their ability to reduce post-harvest losses were the true measures of success.

Looking ahead to the third edition, scheduled for September 2027, he said the West Africa Agri Show had come to stay and expressed confidence that it would grow bigger and become a major market event for agriculture in the sub-region.

Ms Françoise Sayi, Country Director of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), Benin, called for value chain transformation, noting that production alone was not enough to ensure nutrition and food sustainability in West Africa.

“Production alone is not enough. We must store, we must process, we must market and produce food so that nutritious, safe and affordable food reaches every household, every community member,” she advocated.

She commended the organisers for bringing together global expertise, technology, investment and partnerships in support of Africa’s agriculture and food security transformation.

She said such initiatives were essential to fostering stronger South-South cooperation, helping to deepen knowledge and technology exchange among communities while mobilising the investment and partnerships required to build more resilient, sustainable and inclusive food systems.

Sayi urged the youth to embrace agriculture, saying: “You have the power to transform the food system in West Africa today. The future of food system in West Africa is not something to wait for, it is something you can build now.”

She noted that the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition’s NourishNext West Africa initiative was being implemented through youth agrifood innovators to strengthen the fruits and vegetables value chain, reduce losses and improve access to nutritious food.

Source: GNA
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