The Government of Ghana has reaffirmed its commitment to positioning the agribusiness sector as a cornerstone of the country’s industrial transformation and the envisioned 24-hour economy.
Delivering a speech on behalf of the Deputy Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Hon. Sampson Ahi, Mr. George Owusu Ansah Amoah, Director of Research, Statistics and Information Management (RSIM) at the Ministry, emphasized the need to harness Ghana’s agribusiness potential. The speech was read at the Regional Agribusiness Dialogue held on Tuesday, 9 December, at the Global Dreams Hotel in Tamale.
Addressing representatives from academia, development partners, industry leaders, and agribusiness stakeholders, Hon. Ahi highlighted Ghana’s strategic position amid growing global agribusiness opportunities. He noted that the global agribusiness market, currently valued at between US$3.4 trillion and US$3.5 trillion, is projected to reach US$4.4 trillion to US$5.8 trillion by 2033.
The Deputy Minister also underscored the importance of the Ministry’s realignment from the Ministry of Trade and Industry to the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, describing it as a deliberate move to strengthen linkages between agriculture and industry. He noted that many local industries operate below capacity — in some cases at 30 to 40 percent — due to limited access to raw materials, weak value chains, and post-harvest inefficiencies.
To reverse this trend, the Ministry has identified three major initiatives to drive industrial expansion: the Feed the Industry Programme, the Rapid Industrialization Programme, and the Accelerated Export Development Programme.
The Feed the Industry Programme, in particular, aims to improve raw material supply consistency, increasing industrial capacity utilization to 70–80 percent. The initiative will operate on a hub-and-spoke system linking smallholder farmers, commercial farms, and processors through contract farming. Its four pillars include:
Commercial Farmer Development and Value Chain Integration
Post-Harvest Solution Centers and Processing Infrastructure
Industrial Linkages and Market Development
Programme Management and Institutional Development
In a bid to boost agro-industrialization, the Deputy Minister announced a two-phased strategy to improve access to agricultural machinery. In the short term, government will waive taxes on agro-processing machinery to reduce costs and encourage investment. In the medium to long term, domestic production of agro-processing machines will be scaled up through capacity development at the GRATIS Foundation, in collaboration with IFAD.
Hon. Ahi further revealed that a National Agribusiness Policy is being developed to guide the sector’s future. Regional dialogues like the one in Tamale are being conducted to ensure the policy reflects regional priorities, is inclusive, sustainable, and aligned with national development goals.
Speaking on behalf of the Northern Regional Minister, Ali Adolf John, he described agribusiness as a critical driver of local development, noting that “In the Northern Region, our agribusiness sector is not only a source of livelihood for thousands but also plays a crucial role in food security and national growth.”
Mr. Daniel Acquaye, Group CEO of Agri Impact Limited, urged stakeholders to contribute expertise to ensure the sustainability and inclusivity of the policy. He emphasized the need to deepen agricultural and agribusiness infrastructure to promote industry growth and maximize value.
The Tamale dialogue follows a series of engagements organized by the Ministry and its partners to solicit input for a national agribusiness policy that aligns with Ghana’s industrial ambitions. Discussions at the forum focused on pressing issues such as market access and trade.
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