Invest in Volta to secure Ghana’s food future — Dr Kwamigah-Atokple to agric minister

The 41st National Farmers’ Day Agricultural Fair and Exhibition opened in Ho on Monday with a strong call for Ghana to deepen investment in agriculture and position the Volta Region as a national model for food security and agribusiness transformation.

Delivering the keynote address, the Volta Regional Representative on the Council of State, Dr Gabriel Tanko Kwamigah-Atokple, underscored the critical role of every actor across the agricultural value chain, stressing that agriculture “is about the entire system of people whose effort moves food from the soil into society.”

Referring to a morning incident in which his regular food vendor was absent, he said the experience revealed how “the absence of one person could ripple through an entire community,” illustrating how farmers, processors, food vendors and consumers are interdependent.

Atokple told the gathering that “food security is national security,” warning that Ghana risks “instability, vulnerability and dependence” without strong domestic production.

He highlighted agriculture’s influence on health, industry, nutrition and employment, calling it the “backbone of Ghana’s development.”

The Council of State member praised the selection of the Volta Region as the host of the 2025 Farmers’ Day, describing it as recognition of the region’s “fertile lands, abundant water bodies, reliable rainfall patterns and hardworking people whose farming heritage stretches across generations.”

He noted that young people in the region are increasingly venturing into commercial farming, aquaculture and climate-smart vegetable cultivation.

Dr Kwamigah-Atokple appealed directly to the Ministers for Food and Agriculture and for Fisheries and Aquaculture to fully integrate the region into the government’s new interventions under the NDC administration, including the Agriculture for Economic Transformation Agenda, Farmer Service Centres, the Farm Bank initiative, and the National Agribusiness Policy.

“With our land, our waters, and our hardworking people, this region can show what these policies can be achieved. The people of the Volta Region are ready,” he added.

The Council of State Member, who is also a rice farmer, emphasised the region’s growing role in domestic rice production and urged deeper investment in irrigation, seed improvement, milling and storage to reduce Ghana’s dependence on imports.

Beyond rice, he pointed to significant potential in cassava, maize, fruits, cocoa, poultry, piggery and aquaculture, saying the Volta Lake alone offers “enormous opportunities for modern fish farming that can supply both Ghana and neighbouring countries.”

He also cited expanding greenhouse farms and a new generation of youth deploying climate-smart technologies.

The Council of State member cautioned that persistent structural challenges are holding farmers back. These include rising input costs, limited mechanisation, poor access to credit, post-harvest losses, climate variability, bad roads and unreliable market prices.

Farmers, he said, require stronger cooperatives, fair pricing, robust extension services and improved water management to withstand droughts and flooding.

Call for Mindset Change and National Commitment

On policy and national outlook, Dr Gabriel Tanko Kwamigah-Atokple stressed that Ghana must elevate agriculture into a respected, technology-driven career path.

“Agriculture must be seen as a dignified, profitable and technologically-advanced career,” he said, urging reduced barriers to land access and increased private investment in agribusiness.



He called transformation of the sector a “national mission that requires discipline, innovation and collective determination.”

Closing his address, Dr Kwamigah-Atokple paid tribute to farmers and fishers, describing them as “the quiet architects of our nation’s stability,” while praising their resilience and sacrifice.

He also indicated that; “They rise before dawn, labour under the hot sun… They do this not for applause but because the survival of families and communities depends on their courage.”

He urged Ghanaians to “feed Ghana, eat what we grow and secure our future,” reiterating that both the Volta Region and the country are ready for a new era of agricultural transformation.



The ceremony featured the arrival of dignitaries, cultural performances by the Dzidzorkporkpor Borborbor Group and Volta CNC Folkloric Group, and addresses by the Volta Regional Minister, James Gunu; the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Emelia Arthur; and the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku.

The programme concluded with the official opening and inspection of the exhibition.