The President of the Concerned Farmers Association of Ghana, Nana Bonsu II, accuses police officers of protecting illegal loggers, blaming law enforcement for ongoing deforestation.
He claims that loggers are operating under the protection of law enforcement.
He says these individuals use the names of high-ranking officials to justify the destruction of state-protected lands.
Speaking on Morning Starr with Naa Dedei Tettey, Nana highlighted the ongoing decline in Ghana’s forest cover amid weak enforcement and illegal logging, describing it as part of a longstanding pattern of exploitation.
“It’s like the whole country is a mess,” he said, stressing that deforestation is occurring under the watch of those mandated to prevent it. Despite previous alerts to authorities, including reports submitted in 2016, Nana claims no meaningful action was taken.
He explained that individuals are freely cutting down trees with what he described as sanctioned impunity.
“People have the right to cut down trees, destroy it with that in it, in the name of my name and the name of big man at the top and who said? Police people, District police commanders and other things with that,” Nana said. “We’re men with guns protecting criminals just to destroy state property.”
Linking the issue to broader governance failures, Nana expressed frustration that his earlier warnings were disregarded.
“I gave you my report in 2016 which did not take a serious note on it,” he recalled. “And then there’s another report and if you don’t even take serious note on this, you fail again.”
He stressed that his account is based on direct observation.
“This is no lie. It is real because we are on the field at what is happening.”
He also called for stronger oversight within the Cocoa Board and other institutions, warning that systemic vulnerabilities are being exploited for political gain.
The Head of Public Affairs of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has hit back at the Minority in Parliament over their criticisms of the government for failing to pay arrears on cocoa beans purchased in the 2024/2025 cocoa season.
He said this when speaking on Kasapa FM’s Morning Show, Ghana Kasa, on Tuesday, 10th February, 2026, Jerome Sam said that the minority and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) lack the moral authority to speak on the welfare of cocoa farmers, given their “dismal” track record in sector management.
The minority had, at a press conference, called on the chief executive officer (CEO) to pay cocoa farmers.
This stance, the minority insists, is very “pretentious.”
”We are shocked that the minority are pretending to love cocoa farmers now,” he said.
He pointed to gross inefficiencies in past rehabilitation efforts, highlighting that a specific $350 million loan intended to rehabilitate 156,400 hectares of cocoa trees was misused.
”When they secured a loan of $ 350 million for the rehabilitation of 156,400 hectares of cocoa trees, they only rehabilitated 40,000 hectares…by the time they left power, they had only rehabilitated 40,000 hectares,” Sam stated.
He added that an additional GH¢700 million was taken from COCOBOD to bolster the initiative, yet the targets remained largely unmet, leaving farmers to deal with ageing and diseased trees.
He further revealed that the current administration inherited a staggering financial burden tied to cocoa road contracts.
Sam continued that between 2019 and 2021, the previous administration committed to contracts worth GH¢21.5 billion for cocoa roads, leaving behind a direct debt of GH¢4.7 billion.
”If COCOBOD had not gone through this [debt struggle],” Sam noted.
He therefore demanded that the minority bow their head in shame, as they had no right to talk about the problems at COCOBOD currently.
Cocoa prices settled lower on Monday as they consolidated above their recent significant lows. On January 30, NY cocoa dropped to a 2.25-year nearest-futures low, and London cocoa sank to a 2.5-year low, as abundant global supplies and slack demand weigh on cocoa prices.
On January 29, StoneX forecasted a global cocoa surplus of 287,000 MT in the 2025/26 season and a 267,000 MT surplus for 2026/27. Also, the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) reported on January 23 that global cocoa stocks rose 4.2% y/y to 1.1 MMT.
Demand concerns have hammered cocoa prices as consumers continue to balk at the high price of chocolate. On January 28, Barry Callebaut AG, the world’s largest bulk chocolate maker, reported a -22% decline in sales volume in its cocoa division for the quarter ending November 30, citing “negative market demand and a prioritization of volume toward higher-return segments within cocoa.”
Grinding reports also showed weak demand. On January 15, the European Cocoa Association reported that Q4 European cocoa grindings fell -8.3% y/y to 304,470 MT, a bigger decline than expectations of -2.9% y/y and the lowest for a Q4 in 12 years.
On December 16, the Cocoa Association of Asia reported that Q4 Asian cocoa grindings fell -4.8% y/y to 197,022 MT. Also, the National Confectioners Association reported Q4 North American cocoa grindings rose only +0.3% y/y to 103,117 MT.
Abundant ICE-monitored cocoa inventories are negative for prices. ICE cocoa inventories soared to a 3.25-month high of 1,812,564 bags on Monday.
Slowing cocoa deliveries to ports in the Ivory Coast is a supportive factor for prices. Today’s cumulative data showed that Ivory Coast farmers shipped 1.27 MMT of cocoa to ports in the current marketing year (October 1, 2025, through February 8, 2026), down -3.8% from 1.32 MMT in the same period a year ago. The Ivory Coast is the world’s largest cocoa producer.
Favorable growing conditions in West Africa are also a negative factor for cocoa prices. Tropical General Investments Group recently said that favorable growing conditions in West Africa are expected to boost the February-March cocoa harvest in the Ivory Coast and Ghana, as farmers report larger and healthier pods compared with the same period last year.
Chocolate maker Mondelez recently said that the latest cocoa pod count in West Africa is 7% above the five-year average and “materially higher” than last year’s crop. Harvest of the Ivory Coast’s main crop has begun, and farmers are optimistic about its quality.
Smaller cocoa supplies from Nigeria, the world’s fifth-largest cocoa producer, are supportive for prices. Nigeria’s November cocoa exports fell -7% y/y to 35,203 MT. Nigeria’s Cocoa Association projects that Nigeria’s 2025/26 cocoa production will fall by -11% y/y to 305,000 MT from a projected 344,000 MT for the 2024/25 crop year.
Cocoa prices have support on a tightening global supply outlook. On November 28, the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) cut its global 2024/25 cocoa surplus estimate to 49,000 MT from a previous estimate of 142,000 MT. It also lowered its global cocoa production estimate for 2024/25 to 4.69 MMT from 4.84 MMT previously. In addition, Rabobank last Tuesday cut its 2025/26 global cocoa surplus estimate to 250,000 MT from a November forecast of 328,000 MT.
On May 30, the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) revised its 2023/24 global cocoa deficit to -494,000 MT, the largest deficit in over 60 years. ICCO said 2023/24 cocoa production fell by -12.9% y/y to 4.368 MMT.
ICCO on December 19 estimated a 2024/25 global cocoa surplus of 49,000 MT, marking the first surplus in four years. ICCO also said global cocoa production in 2024/25 rose by +7.4% y/y to 4.69 MMT.
Supermarket shelves can look full despite the food systems underneath them being under strain. Fruit may be stacked neatly, chilled meat may be in place. It appears that supply chains are functioning well. But appearances can be deceiving.
Today, food moves through supply chains because it is recognised by databases, platforms and automated approval systems. If a digital system cannot confirm a shipment, the food cannot be released, insured, sold, or legally distributed. In practical terms, food that cannot be “seen” digitally becomes unusable.
Look at the consequences, for example, when recent cyberattacks on grocery and food distribution networks disrupted operations at multiple major US grocery chains. This took online ordering and other digital systems down and delayed deliveries even though physical stocks were available.
Part of the problem here is that key decisions are made by automated or opaque systems that cannot be easily explained or challenged. Manual backups are also being removed in the name of efficiency.
This digital shift is happening around the world, in supermarkets and in farming, and has delivered efficiency gains, but it has also intensified structural pressures across logistics and transport, particularly in supply chains which are set up to deliver at the last minute.
When decisions about food allocation cannot be explained or reviewed, authority shifts away from human judgment and into software rules. Put simply, businesses are choosing automation over humans to save time and cut costs. As a result, decisions about food movement and access are increasingly made by systems that people cannot easily question or override.
This has already started to happen. During the 2021 ransomware attack on JBS Foods, meat processing facilities halted operations despite animals, staff, and infrastructure being present. Although some Australian farmers were able to override the systems, there were widespread problems. More recently, disruptions affecting large distributors have shown how system failures can interrupt deliveries to shops even if goods are available.
Getting rid of humans
A significant issue is fewer people managing these issues, and staff training. Manual procedures are classified as costly and gradually abandoned. Staff are no longer trained for overrides they are never expected to perform. When failure occurs, the skills required to intervene may no longer exist.
This vulnerability is compounded by persistent workforce and skills shortages, which affect transport, warehousing and public health inspection. Even when digital systems recover, the human ability to restart flows may be limited.
The risk is not only that systems fail, but that when they do, disruption spreads quickly. This can be understood as a stress test rather than a prediction. Authorisation systems may freeze. Trucks are loaded, but release codes fail. Drivers wait. Food is present, but movement is not approved.
Based on previous incidents within days digital records and physical reality can begin to diverge. Inventory systems no longer match what is on shelves. After about 72 hours, manual intervention is required. Yet paper procedures have often been removed, and staff are not trained to use them.
These patterns are consistent with evidence from UK food system vulnerability analyses, which emphasise that resilience failures are often organisational rather than agricultural.
Food security is often framed as a question of supply. But there is also a question of authorisation. If a digital manifest is corrupted, shipments may not be released.
This matters in a country like the UK that relies heavily on imports and complex logistics. Resilience depends not only on trade flows, but on the governance of data and decision-making in food systems, research on food security suggests.
Who is in control?
AI can strengthen food security. Precision agriculture (using data to make decisions about when to plant or water, for instance) and early-warning systems have helped reduce losses and improve yields. The issue is not whether AI is used, but who is watching it, and who manages it.
Food systems need humans to be in the loop, with trained staff and regular drills on how to override systems if they go wrong. Algorithms used in food allocation and logistics must be transparent enough to be audited. Commercial secrecy cannot outweigh public safety. Communities and farmers must retain control over their data and knowledge.
This is not a risk for the future. It already explains why warehouses full of food can become inaccessible or ignored.
The question is not whether digital systems will fail, but whether we will build a system that can survive its failure.
The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) has signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with AAK Ghana Limited to facilitate and improve value addition, competitiveness, and sustainable growth within Ghana’s shea industry.
The agreement was signed at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture in Accra by the Hon. Eric Opoku, Minister for Food and Agriculture, and Mr. Lasse Skaksen, Vice President and Head of AAK West Africa.
The partnership formalizes a $90 million investment focused on transitioning the shea sector from a raw commodity-based industry into a high-value industrial pillar.
Central to this initiative is the establishment of a world-class shea processing factory in Ghana, leveraging advanced technology to increase local value addition and create over a 100 direct jobs.
Under the terms of the MoU, AAK outlined four critical priorities:-
Sourcing Expansion: The expansion of the Kolo Nafaso direct sourcing programme to support over 300,000 women shea collectors in northern Ghana through financing and guaranteed markets.
Skills Development: The establishment of the AAK Ghana Innovation Academy to strengthen SME viability and enhance youth employability within the plant-based oils and fats sector.
Industrial Infrastructure: Significant investment in logistics, warehousing, and supply chain infrastructure to boost export competitiveness.
Environmental Sustainability: A commitment to shea reforestation and parkland preservation in partnership with the Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA).
The signing was witnessed by H.E. Jakob Linulf, Ambassador of Denmark to Ghana, highlighting the strategic importance of the partnership to Ghana’s industrial development agenda.
The Ministry of Food and Agriculture noted that this collaboration aligns with the Agriculture for Economic Transformation Agenda (AETA) and the Feed the Industry sub-programme.”Ghana has the potential to become a global reference point for value-added shea processing,” said Mr. Lasse Skaksen during the meeting.
“This partnership reflects our confidence in Ghana’s shea sector and our commitment to investing in local capacity and inclusive economic growth.”
The event was attended by senior government officials, including Hon. John Dumelo, Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture; Mr. Paul Siameh, Chief Director of MoFA; and Dr. Andy Osei Okrah, Chief Executive Officer of the Tree Crops Development Authority.
The Member of Parliament for the Salaga South Constituency, Hon. Zuwera Mohammed Ibrahimiah, in partnership with the Sisters of JDM Foundation, has supported 400 vulnerable women in the constituency with the donation of fertilizers to enhance agricultural productivity and improve livelihoods.
Speaking to the media, Hon. Zuwera Mohammed Ibrahimiah said the initiative forms part of ongoing efforts to support vulnerable persons, particularly women, across the constituency.
She explained that during her engagements with women in various communities, many appealed for assistance with farming inputs, especially fertilizers, to support their farming activities.
In response to these requests, 400 bags of fertilizer were distributed to widows, single mothers, divorced women, and other vulnerable women selected from communities across the Salaga South Constituency.
The MP noted that the excitement and appreciation expressed by the beneficiaries underscored the significance of the intervention, which is expected to greatly improve their farming activities.
The beneficiaries are largely engaged in vegetable farming, including the cultivation of agushie, watermelon, and other crops.
Hon. Zuwera Mohammed Ibrahimiah emphasized that vegetable farming plays a critical role in ensuring household nutrition, particularly for children.
She stated that empowering women in agriculture not only enhances food security at the household level but also creates opportunities for income generation, as surplus produce is sold to support family needs.
The MP further revealed plans to strengthen collaboration with the Sisters of JDM Foundation and the Women Empowerment Foundation of the Salaga South Constituency to make the initiative a regular exercise.
She added that future interventions may go beyond fertilizer donations to include cash support, farming tools, clothing, boots, food items, and seed capital for small-scale trading activities.
Reaffirming her commitment to women’s empowerment, Hon. Zuwera Mohammed Ibrahimiah said empowering women leads to stable homes and improved living conditions for children.
“When women are empowered, the entire family benefits. Whatever support women receive is taken back home to ensure peace, stability, and comfort within the household,” she stated.
Ghana’s cocoa sector, long regarded as a pillar of the national economy, is facing a deepening crisis marked by funding shortfalls, weak sales strategies, policy inconsistencies, and political interference, the Licensed Cocoa Buyers Association of Ghana (LICOBAG) has warned.
At a press conference in Accra on Thursday, February 5, LICOBAG Executive Secretary Victus Dzah said the industry—particularly the post-harvest segment from the farm gate to the terminal stage—is in a fragile state and could collapse if urgent corrective measures are not taken.
“We invited you this morning for a conversation on current developments in the cocoa value chain, which, if not addressed seriously, will collapse the industry,” Mr Dzah said, explaining that the Association had repeatedly sought engagement with the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) without success.
According to LICOBAG, the most critical challenges confronting the sector are funding constraints, a flawed sales strategy, a lack of commitment to structural reform, and excessive political interference.
On funding, Mr Dzah described a sector under severe financial strain since the 2023/2024 cocoa season, following COCOBOD’s failure to secure its traditional syndicated financing facility.
“Instead of the usual annual syndication of about US$1.3 billion or more, COCOBOD was only able to raise a paltry US$500 million, and that was secured six months after the opening of the season,” he said.
This shortfall, LICOBAG explained, forced Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs) to pre-finance cocoa purchases through commercial banks at extremely high interest rates, with the Ghana Reference Rate standing at 29.8 per cent at the time.
“COCOBOD made its first payment for cocoa delivered to port on 26 January 2024, six clear months after deliveries, while LBCs had already paid farmers in full,” Mr Dzah noted.
He said the delay plunged many buying companies into unsustainable debt, leading to the collapse of several firms—a situation that persists as promised compensation for high financing costs has not materialised.
The crisis worsened in the 2024/2025 season when COCOBOD was unable to raise any syndicated facility at all, prompting the introduction of the so-called 60/40 funding model. While the model eased short-term cash flow pressures, LICOBAG said it created new distortions.
“COCOBOD no longer controls funding to the industry because it has no funds of its own, effectively reducing it to a moderator in client–LBC partnerships,” Mr Dzah said.
He said the consequences included stranded LBCs without funding, a lack of off-takers for cocoa stocks, delayed payments for cocoa delivered to port, and increased smuggling due to inadequate financing.
The continuation of the funding model in the 2025/2026 season, revised to an 80/20 structure, has also failed to stabilise the market, with many clients halting purchases by November, the peak of the season.
Turning to sales strategy, LICOBAG blamed COCOBOD, the Cocoa Marketing Company (CMC), and traders for failing to align pricing and sales decisions with market realities.
“Why should we move from a period of roll-overs in one season because COCOBOD could not deliver on contracts, to a situation where we cannot buy cocoa produced by farmers because our pricing mechanism is not competitive enough?” Mr Dzah asked.
He argued that traders failed to sell aggressively when global prices were favourable, despite credible intelligence warning of an impending surplus and a fall in terminal market prices.
The fallout, he said, has been severe: cocoa delivered to port since December 2025 remains unpaid; stocks in upcountry warehouses have not been settled; and farmers are holding unsold cocoa, some stored in fertiliser bags with serious quality risks.
Mr Dzah further disclosed rising tensions at the grassroots, including reports of farmers arresting purchasing clerks for failing to pay for cocoa already bought.
Beyond operational challenges, LICOBAG accused successive governments of lacking genuine commitment to revamping the cocoa industry.
“Various governments took loans to revamp the industry, but these efforts were largely cosmetic, while the core structural problems remained,” Mr Dzah said.
He cited policy inconsistencies, the collapse of cocoa think-tanks with changes in government, and the misapplication of funds meant for industry reform, warning that without a paradigm shift, the cocoa sector risks being overtaken by illegal mining.
LICOBAG also decried what it described as excessive political interference at COCOBOD, saying the institution has gradually lost its professionalism and institutional memory.
“Since 2013, COCOBOD has become a dumping ground for political foot soldiers,” Mr Dzah said, adding that sweeping personnel changes with every change of government have eroded morale and service delivery.
To stem the decline, the Association proposed a series of reforms, including a review of the current funding model, the establishment of a limited seed fund to support LBCs, emergency financing to pay for an estimated 300,000 metric tonnes of cocoa, and the ring-fencing of funds meant strictly for cocoa purchases.
LICOBAG also called for an urgent determination of the farmgate price, improved sales oversight, enhanced professional capacity at CMC, divestment from non-core COCOBOD activities, stronger engagement with stakeholders, and the fast-tracking of a new pricing mechanism law.
Mr Dzah maintained that with decisive, non-partisan action, Ghana’s cocoa sector can still be rescued.
“If serious efforts are made beyond rhetoric and theatrics, the industry can be realigned and restored to its glorious days,” he said.
The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) says it has started making payments to Licenced Buying Companies (LBCs) to enable them pay cocoa farmers for their produce.
This comes after concerns were raised about cocoa farmers going unpaid for several months. Isaac Yaw Opoku, Ranking Member on Parliament’s Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs Committee, speaking on behalf of the Minority in Parliament at a presser in Accra on Thursday February 5 warned that delays in payments to farmers were creating hardship and threatening the cocoa industry.
He noted that COCOBOD owes LBCs more than GH¢10 billion for cocoa already purchased, leaving the companies financially constrained.
Responding to this in an interview on Citi Eyewitness News, Jerome Kwaku Sam, Head of Corporate Communications at COCOBOD explained that delays in accessing syndicated funding forced the board to rely on international buyers to finance cocoa purchases.
These arrangements, he said, came with conditions that required the LBCs to pay for cocoa, with COCOBOD reimbursing them later.
“In fact, November we made over GHS6 billion, December we made over GHS5 billion, and even January we made GHS6 billion. This month alone we have paid over GHS620 million,” Mr. Sam further stated.
“…We are indeed paying monies to them (LBCs) for them to also pay the farmers whatever amount that is outstanding.”
He added that the board is working on a new financing model under the current administration to ensure that the sector is better funded and that delays like those experienced do not recur.
Mr. Sam stressed that the delayed payments were not the result of COCOBOD failing in its duties but were caused by a combination of funding challenges, changes in financing arrangements, and the need to develop a more sustainable system.
COCOBOD said it remains committed to ensuring that farmers receive their payments promptly and that the cocoa sector operates efficiently for all stakeholders.
The Minister for Food and Agriculture Eric Opoku has reaffirmed government’s commitment to building a resilient and efficient agricultural sector, as Ghana shifts focus from only increasing production to protecting what farmers harvest.
Speaking at the launch and handover of locally fabricated post-harvest equipment, the Minister said the event represents the kind of agricultural future Ghana has deliberately chosen to build one anchored in local innovation, value addition, and sustainability.
He noted that for far too long, Ghana has invested heavily in boosting agricultural production yet continues to lose a significant proportion of what farmers harvest due to poor post-harvest handling.
According to him, inadequate storage and processing services have robbed farmers of income, wasted effort, and weakened the country’s food systems.
As part of the programme, 2,231 youth artisans have been engaged to fabricate about 300 maize and soybean threshers. The Minister emphasized that the project is not only about numbers, but about building a skilled workforce that will continue to serve the agricultural sector long after the programme ends.
More than 3,000 farming families are expected to benefit from the initiative. The impact, he said, will be felt through reduced post-harvest losses, higher incomes, improved quality of produce, and stronger rural economies.
The Minister highlighted sustainability as a key feature of the programme, stressing that equipment without skills and technology without maintenance often fail. To address this, the initiative includes user training, technical support systems, and the involvement of trained agricultural and engineering graduates to ensure safety, reliability, and continuity.
He stated that the future of Ghana’s agriculture lies in efficiency, value addition, and dignity of work. It also depends on empowering women farmers, equipping young people with relevant skills, and ensuring that what the country grows is not lost, but leveraged for national development.
On the part of the Country Director of World Food Programme, she described the initiative as a practical Ghanaian solution to one of the most persistent challenges in agriculture post-harvest losses. He said WFP approaches food security holistically, from production and harvesting to processing, storage, and access to markets.
According to her, significant quantities of maize and soybeans are lost after harvest in Ghana, undermining farmers’ incomes, nutrition outcomes, and national food availability, while contributing to rising food prices.
It is being rolled out across seven technology solution centres, with 231 young Ghanaian artisans trained to fabricate 300 threshers—200 for maize and 100 for soybeans.
Beyond equipment delivery, the programme includes user training, maintenance services, and the deployment of agricultural engineering graduates to ensure safe operations and long-term sustainability. WFP says the initiative aligns with Ghana’s Feed Ghana programme and the country’s mechanisation agenda.
An investment of US$35.7million under Ghana’s Harnessing Agricultural Productivity and Prosperity for Youth (HAPPY) programme is yielding positive results, with significant job creation, higher output across key value chains and rising revenues, programme partners have said.
The youth-focused agricultural initiative, led by Agri-Impact Limited in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, is designed to transform Ghana’s agriculture sector by creating opportunities for young people—particularly women and persons with disabilities—while boosting domestic production and reducing food imports.
Since its inception to December 2025, the programme has created more than 8,000 youth jobs and trained about 10,000 value-chain actors. It has supported the production of poultry valued at US$4.6million, delivering 7.5 thousand metric tonnes of broiler meat, and has generated revenues of US$25.2million.
HAPPY is a four-year (2023–2027) integrated, market-oriented and catalytic agricultural value-chain programme aimed at cutting Ghana’s average annual food import bill of about US$2billion. It seeks to unlock dignified and sustainable employment for youth, women-led enterprises and people with diverse abilities.
The programme focuses on four priority value chains—rice, soybean, tomato and poultry—targeting more than 400,000 beneficiaries. It aims to place about 326,000 young people into work, with women accounting for 70 percent, and to raise productivity by 28 percent in rice, 42 percent in soybean and 44 percent in tomato production.
These outcomes were highlighted at a Northern Regional stakeholder workshop on the Poultry Sector Master Plan, which brought together poultry stakeholders from the five northern regions.
The event was organised by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), through its Animal Production Directorate, in partnership with Agri-Impact Limited and the Mastercard Foundation’s HAPPY Programme, under the theme “Deepening Impact, Transitioning Youth into Dignified and Fulfilling Work”.
A consultant has been engaged to develop a Poultry Sector Master Plan for Ghana, drawing on nationwide stakeholder consultations. The plan is expected to provide a data-driven roadmap to reduce import dependence, strengthen competitiveness, create jobs for youth and women, and guide public and private investment across the value chain.
It will also validate baseline insights on poultry value-chain competitiveness, identify binding constraints, policy and infrastructure needs, and investment priorities, while capturing stakeholder inputs through focus group discussions and syndicate sessions to inform the final implementation roadmap.
Implementing partners include the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Newage Agric Solutions Limited, Ghana Enterprises Agency, TechnoServe, the Millennium Development Authority, National Service Authority, Catholic Relief Services and Jobberman.
The Northern Regional Director of the Department of Agriculture, Hajia Hawa Mush, commended Agri-Impact Limited and the Mastercard Foundation for their continued commitment to making agriculture more attractive to young people.
“The poultry sector occupies a strategic position in Ghana’s food and nutrition security agenda as a critical source of affordable animal protein, a driver of rural livelihoods and a sector with immense job-creation potential,” she said.
She noted that the master plan would help address longstanding challenges in the sector and curb the importation of poultry products, adding that the Northern Region was well positioned to become a significant contributor to national poultry production with the right investments and partnerships.
The National President of the Ghana National Association of Poultry Farmers, George Dassah, called for effective and efficient policies free from political interference to ensure sustainable growth of the industry.
Deputy Director at MoFA’s Animal Production Directorate, Ricky Aboagye Poku, said the sector had long been bedevilled by challenges despite its potential, adding that effective implementation of the programme would help grow the industry and enable government to generate revenue for development.
Business Development and Research Manager at Agri-Impact Limited, Prince Manu Yeboah, said Ghana’s agricultural sector remained rich in untapped potential. He noted that the HAPPY Programme, aligned with national food security and industrialisation strategies, targets more than 46,000 graduates and complements other youth-focused initiatives in entrepreneurship, education and information and communication technology.
