The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Hon. Eric Opoku has assured that the 41st Farmers’ Day award winners will receive their cash prizes during the day of the celebration.
Past years, national best award winners have been going through tough times by chasing the awarder for their prizes. At times, they could chase the payment for more than months.
To release these frustrations and stress on the deserve awardee farmers, the Agric Minister has assured the award winners for receiving their cash prizes at the ground on the day of the celebration.
He revealed this when Agriculture Development Bank (ADB) presented the cheque for the national best farmer to the ministry.
“This year, we want to have a special farmers’ day celebration, every awardee will receive the award right on the field of celebration,” Minister added.
He extoled ADB for the intervention of presenting the demi-cheque to the ministry to be presented to the national best farmer, but the proper cheque will directly be put into the account of the winner.
He assured of transparency and accountability to disburse all the items donated by the stakeholders to the deserved award winners during the national farmers’ day.
The President of the Republic of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama has described Minister of Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, as “one of the best Ministers of Agriculture in the history of Ghana.”
The praise came during the launch of a new vegetable development project under the national agricultural strategy in Kukuom, the capital of the Asunafo South District.
Speaking at the event, the President underscored the importance of the fresh vegetable drive as part of efforts to improve food security, reduce import dependence, and empower smallholder and subsistence farmers across the country.
• In April 2025, he launched the Feed Ghana Programme, designed to transform the agricultural sector, boost domestic food production, stabilise food prices, create jobs, and supply raw materials for agro-industries.
Hon. Eric Opoku — who also serves as Member of Parliament for Asunafo South — has overseen a series of major interventions as Minister:
• As part of that programme, the Ministry has rolled out the YƐREDUA Vegetable Development Project, promoting vegetable cultivation through greenhouse farming, irrigation-supported open-field cultivation, and support for urban, peri-urban, and rural farmers.
• To encourage home gardening and household-level food production, the Ministry is establishing vegetable nurseries nationwide so families can easily access quality seedlings.
• In the poultry sub-sector, Opoku has spearheaded a broad revitalisation effort, including the Nkoko Nketenkete Programme — a backyard poultry initiative targeting women and youth — and a “Farm-to-Table” framework to support large- and medium-scale poultry farmers.
• Under these poultry reforms, the Ministry has distributed birds to thousands of households and is working to drastically scale up domestic poultry production, with the aim of reducing Ghana’s dependence on imported poultry products.
• As part of the revitalisation, the government has moved to establish agro-industrial facilities, including a state-of-the-art soya processing plant in the North — expected to provide reliable market for soybean farmers and feed into poultry feed value-chains.
• Through the “Feed Ghana” and allied programmes, the Ministry has expanded irrigation infrastructure, rehabilitated dams, and provided support for institutional farming — targeting schools, security agencies, religious institutions, and youth — to increase production of staples, vegetables and livestock, and reduce post-harvest losses.
At the same ceremony, President Mahama also broke ground for the construction of a chicken and meat processing centre at Bechem in the Ahafo Region — a project championed by Minister Opoku as part of the strategy to build Ghana’s poultry value chain and process locally produced meat.
The combined message from the launch and ground-breaking: under Eric Opoku’s stewardship, agriculture in Ghana is being recast from subsistence-level production to a diversified, agro-industrial sector — with emphasis on food security, import substitution, rural livelihoods, and value-chain development.
Observers say the new vegetable push and renewed investment in poultry and agro-processing bode well for the country’s long-term ambitions of food self-sufficiency and economic transformation.
West Africa’s cashew sector has vaulted from a niche crop to a regional economic powerhouse — supplying raw nuts to global processors, creating rural jobs and drawing investment. But policy choices now will determine whether West Africa captures more value, protects forests and secures reliable market access in an era of tighter European rules and shifting global demand.
Production and processing: the current picture
Côte d’Ivoire dominates the region’s output, driving dramatic expansion in acreage and processing capacity across the subregion. Rapid growth in Ivorian processing — from around 68,500 tonnes in 2015 to some 350,000 tonnes by 2024 — shows what policy and investment can do to keep value in-country. Meanwhile, Ghana’s volumes are more modest and volatile: official reporting and industry accounts point to meaningful year-to-year swings, with a notable drop reported in the 2024 season.
West Africa supplies most of the world’s raw cashew nuts, but much of the high-value kernel processing still lives in Asia. Closing that gap through local processing is a central regional opportunity — but it requires coherent policy, finance and industrial coordination.
Policy levers for value retention
National strategies that combine procurement rules, investment incentives and industrial zoning have worked elsewhere in the region. Government-supported agro-industrial zones, tax incentives for processors, and price-stabilisation mechanisms can encourage processors to invest. Where governments offer predictable offtake guarantees or blended-finance windows for equipment, processing capacity has expanded rapidly — as seen in Côte d’Ivoire’s recent industrial push. Policymakers in Accra and neighbouring capitals should consider similar packages tailored to local realities.
Trade policy — harmonise, don’t fragment
Fragmented standards and border procedures raise transaction costs for small exporters and undermine regional competitiveness. ECOWAS-level coordination on sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) rules, common MRL guidance and mutual recognition of testing labs would reduce delays and help small processors scale. Harmonised export documentation and a regional traceability framework would also help move from raw-nut exports toward kernel exports sold on merit, not price alone.
Compliance and market access
The EU’s new Deforestation-Free Regulation (EUDR) requires importers to perform due diligence showing commodities are not linked to deforestation after 31 December 2020 and are compliant with local laws. Although the regulation specifically lists certain commodities, its broader market effect is clear: European buyers are progressively demanding verifiable origin, geolocation and legality data — and nuts traders will adapt quickly. For Ghanaian and West African exporters, that means investing in geotagging, producer registries and chain-of-custody systems now, not later.
Sustainability, finance and smallholder inclusion
Sustainable production policies — agroforestry incentives, integrated pest management (IPM), and support for solar-assisted drying and grading — directly improve quality and reduce rejections at destination markets. Blended finance, small grants to co-ops for dryers and digital traceability, and technical-extension bundles can accelerate uptake among smallholders. Supporting women and youth with targeted credit and training will widen the domestic skills base needed for local processing growth.
Regional opportunity — turn competition into complementary growth
Rather than compete solely on raw volumes, West African governments can coordinate complementary strengths: Côte d’Ivoire’s scale, Benin’s processing clusters, and Ghana’s established trading networks should be knitted into a regional value-chain strategy that attracts anchor investors. Shared infrastructure — transport corridors, testing labs, and cross-border trade facilitation — will lower unit costs and make regional processors more competitive versus distant Asian rivals.
What governments and the private sector must do next
1. Fast-track national cashew strategies that combine incentives for processing with safeguards for land use and smallholder incomes.
2. Invest in compliance infrastructure: geolocation registries, accredited labs and digital traceability to meet EUDR-style buyer expectations.
3. Scale blended finance and targeted grants for post-harvest and processing equipment to keep value in-country.
4. Lead an ECOWAS-level harmonisation of SPS, MRLs and trade paperwork to unlock cross-border scaling.
Conclusion
Ghana and West Africa stand at a fork: continue exporting raw materials and ceding value to processors elsewhere, or marshal policy, finance and regional cooperation to capture more of the cashew value chain at home. With global buyers increasingly demanding traceability and deforestation-free sourcing, the window to act is now — and the prize is jobs, rural resilience and a stronger negotiating position in global nuts markets.
Ghana and her neighbouring Côte d’Ivoire are facing renewed pressure from the European Union and French development partners to fast-track long-delayed reforms in the cocoa sector, amid warnings that both countries could lose competitiveness under emerging global sustainability standards.
The call came during a two-day Cocoa4Future feedback workshop in Accra, where researchers presented findings from a five-year EU- and AFD-funded project examining agroforestry systems, disease control, certification schemes, farmer livelihoods, and climate resilience across both countries.
EU officials were clear: unless agroforestry adoption accelerates, deforestation is curtailed, and labour-related risks addressed, West African cocoa could face mounting barriers under new European sustainability rules and stricter buyer requirements.
The research highlighted sector vulnerabilities and pathways for reform. Studies confirmed that many farmers prefer low- to no-shade systems, which boost short-term yields but compromise ecological resilience and long-term productivity.
This approach, researchers warned, undermines forest recovery and leaves cocoa landscapes highly vulnerable to climate change.
On disease management, Cocoa Swollen Shoot Disease (CSSVD) remains widespread, reducing yields by up to 202 kg per hectare in severely affected farms.
Farmer-led control methods, such as pruning infected parts or using chemicals, are largely ineffective.
Researchers recommended intensifying rehabilitation programmes, scaling the production of CSSVD-resistant seedlings, and expanding technical training for early detection.
Certification studies showed that Fairtrade and Organic schemes significantly improve yields, incomes, and job creation, but their impact on broader food security and working conditions is uneven.
Researchers stressed the need for stronger cooperatives, expanded extension services, affordable credit, and diversified buyer networks to improve certification outcomes.
Across all themes, the recommendations were consistent: governments must ramp up input distribution, clarify tree tenure rights, promote hybrid cocoa varieties, incentivise agroforestry adoption, and formalise support systems for farmer livelihoods, including pensions, credit, and modern farm equipment.
Development partners stressed that these evidence-based measures are critical as the global market shifts decisively toward traceable, climate-resilient, and ethically sourced cocoa—standards that Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire risk falling behind if reforms stall.
The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, has announced a €154 million investment from the Government of Italy, in partnership with BF International, to support the transformation of large-scale commercial agriculture in Ghana.
He made the announcement at the Government Accountability Series in Accra on Monday, November 24.
According to him, the project will include the development of a 10,000-hectare irrigated model farm for the all-year-round cultivation of rice, maize, soya and tomatoes.
As part of the initiative, CIHEAM Bari, an agency of the Italian Government, will collaborate with the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI) at the University of Ghana to establish a national seed bank.
CIHEAM Bari will also partner with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to roll out a nationwide soil testing and land-suitability programme to improve crop performance.
Hon. Eric Opoku explained that these efforts fall under the Mahama administration’s Feed Ghana Programme, introduced to modernise agriculture, strengthen food security, support job creation, reduce import dependence and increase domestic production and exports.
He outlined a series of developments achieved over the past nine months.
He noted that 10 new small dams have been constructed while eight existing irrigation dams have been rehabilitated.
In addition, 250 solar-powered boreholes have been installed for farming communities and second-cycle schools across the five regions of the north, Bono and Ahafo.
The Agric Minister noted that major irrigation schemes are also undergoing rehabilitation.
These include the Vea Irrigation Scheme in the Bolgatanga and Bongo districts of the Upper East Region, covering 850 hectares; the Weta Irrigation Scheme in the Ketu North Municipality of the Volta Region, covering 880 hectares; and the Tanoso Irrigation Scheme in the Techiman Municipality of the Bono East Region, covering 100 hectares.
These include the 175-hectare Anunuso Inland Valley in the Anunuso, Brofoyedu, Nkwawkwanua and Awaham communities of the Ashanti Region; the 150-hectare Atonsu Inland Valley in the Atonsu and Abramaso communities, also in the Ashanti Region; and the 647-hectare Kawampe Inland Valley serving the Kwawampe, Tanfulto, Kaaka, Tadefufuo, Tahiru Akura, Chiranda, Atta Akura and Abrewanko communities in the Bono East Region.
Additional developments include the Odaho and Odamu Inland Valleys in the Yaw Nkrumah and Donuaso communities of the Ashanti Region, covering 114 hectares, along with the Waamu-Kumi Inland Valley in Waamu Kumi and Offinho, also in the Ashanti Region, which covers 114 hectares.
Mr Opoku revealed further that the Government of Ghana and the Korea Rural Cooperation (KRC) are constructing irrigation infrastructure on 100 hectares of land to support rice seed production.
Mr Opoku revealed further that the Government of Ghana and the Korea Rural Cooperation (KRC) are constructing irrigation infrastructure on 100 hectares of land to support rice seed production.
He assured the public that the Mahama administration is committed to expanding irrigation systems nationwide to promote all-year-round farming.
He said the government expects 10,000 tonnes of high-quality rice seed to be produced by 2027, adding, “Ghana will be well on its way to rice seed independence.”
He also highlighted improvements in food inflation, recalling that it stood at an unprecedented 61 per cent in January 2023, dropped to 28.3 per cent in January 2025, and declined further to 9.5 per cent by October 2025.
According to him, this demonstrates the positive impact of the reforms and strategic interventions being rolled out under the Feed Ghana Programme.
To accelerate the transformation of Ghana’s agricultural sector, ensure food security, create sustainable employment, and enhance economic growth by reducing import dependency while boosting domestic production and export, the Mahaam administration introduced the Feed Ghana Programme.
The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, has announced key developments under the programme in the past nine months under the Mahama administration.
They include the construction of 10 new small dams, rehabilitation of 8 existing irrigation dams, 250 solar-powered boreholes for farming communities and second-cycle schools across the five regions of the north, Bono and Ahafo regions. Rehabilitating the following Irrigation Schemes is ongoing, Vea Irrigation Scheme in the Bolgatanga and Bongo districts of Upper East Region. Land Size: 850 hectares, Weta Irrigation Scheme in Ketu-North Municipal of the Volta Region. Land Size: 880 hectares.
The others are Tanoso Irrigation Scheme in Techiman Municipal of the Bono East Region. Land size: 100 hectares, Kpong Irrigation Scheme in Shai Osudoku and Lower Manya districts in the Greater Accra and Eastern regions. Land size: 930 hectares, Ashaiman Irrigation Scheme in Greater Accra. Land Size: 200 hectares, Aveyime Irrigation Scheme in the Volta Region. Land Size: 245 hectares, 25 solar-powered boreholes 15 have been completed and the remaining 10 will be completed in the first quarter of 2026, 44 solar-powered boreholes for selected districts in the northern part of the country.
In addition, he said processes have begun for the construction of the following new Inland Valleys for rice production: Anunuso Inland Valley in Anunuso, Brofoyedu, Nkwawkwanua and Awaham communities in the Ashanti Region. Land size: 175 hectares, Atonsu Inland Valley in Atonsu and Abramaso communities in Ashanti Region. Land size: 150 hectares, Kawampe Inland Valley in Kwawampe, Tanfulto, Kaaka, Tadefufuo, Tahiru Akura, Chiranda, Atta Akura, and Abrewanko communities in the Bono East Region. Land size: 647 hectares, Odaho & Odamu Inland Valleys in Yaw Nkrumah and Donuaso communities in the Ashanti Region. Land size: 114 hectares, Waamu-Kumi Inland Valley in Waamu Kumi and Offinho communities in the Ashanti Region. Land size: 114 hectares.
He announced this at the Government Accountability Series in Accra on Monday, November 24.
He further revealed that the Government of Ghana and the Korea Rural Cooperation (KRC) are developing irrigation infrastructure on 100 hectares of land.
This is to support rice seed production in Ghana, he said.He assured that the Mahama administration is improving irrigation systems in the country to ensure all-year-round farming.
Mr Eric Opoku said this while highlighting gains made in the agric sector and other policies rolled out to boost food production and develop Agriculture in Ghana.
He further stated that 10,000 tons of high-quality rice seed will be produced by 2027.
“Ghana will be well on its way to rice seed independence,” he said.
Regarding food inflation, Mr Eric Opoku recounted that it rose to an unprecedented 61% in January 2023, was at 28.3% in January 2025 but stood at 9.5% by October 202
The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Hon. Eric Opoku has orated the importance of motivating farmers in times like this, Farmers’ Day Celebration to the stakeholders and the general public.
Minister said this when the Ministry received a donation of powertrac tractor from Hifarm Agro and Machinery Ghana Ltd to support farmers at the Farmers’ Day.
Hon. Eric Opoku commended Hifarm for contributing to the celebration of the farmers’ day.
He reiterated that undoubtedly, agriculture is the backbone of the economy and farmers must be motivated to produce enough to feed the population.
He revealed that at this backdrop, on every first Friday of December every year, Ghana celebrates her farmers and give awards to distinguish individuals among the farmers.
He explained that implement like the Powertrac tractor is crucial for agriculture transformation as mechanization is concern.
According to him, the tractor will facilitate land preparation thus ploughing and harrowing, planting, fertilizer application, harvesting to enhance food security and improve farmers’ livelihoods.
“We are grateful to you, you will be remembered for this gesture, and we think that you are not only supporting the ministry, but you are supporting the Ghanaian farmers to deliver food on the table of every individual in this country”, Minister admonished Hifarm.
He called on other stakeholders to follow suit to wholistically celebrate our farmers for their hard work.
“We are here to donate this powertrac tractor to the ministry in support of National Farmers’ Day Celebration. We think this is very important thing to do as a local company to the ministry and the government’s agriculture drive”, the Hifarm official said.
He mentioned that in recent times, mechanised farming is the way to go, therefore, it was appropriate to support the good course to celebrate the farmers.
The Ministry of Food and Agriculture has received Four hundred and eighty thousand Ghana Cedis (GHc480,000) worth of agri inputs and twenty thousand Ghana Cedis cheque (GHc20,000) donation from Jay Kay industries to support the farmers’ day celebration on 5th December 2025 at Ho.
The Agri Lead of Jay Kay Industries, Enam E. Yakah in his presentation said the government has been doing a great job for promoting the work of farmers in Ghana.
To support the government the company donated a huge quantity of ROKO Nano Urea Fertilizer to all the farmers in Ghana who use UREA fertilizer; a liquid nitrogen fertilizer applied as a foliar spray.
Moreover, the donation is to support the government’s great effort in providing crucial interventions needed by Ghanaian farmers.
It is a nanotechnology-based product designed as an efficient and environmentally friendly alternative to granular urea, with over 80% nutrient absorption through plant leaves.
Mr. Yakah said the quantity donated to the Ministry is meant for 2,400 acres of farmland use and one and half forty-footer container bags of fertilizers is equivalent to the inputs donated.
According to him, unlike granular fertilizers that that adds acid to the soil, nano fertilizers enrich the plants since the leaves rather absorb the nutrients directly without the soil’s intervention.
He advocated nano urea to be cheaper in terms of transporting a small quantity as compared to the granular urea fertilizers.
Again, nano urea fertilizers are environmentally friendly since it doesn’t go to the soil as compared to the granular urea fertilizers.
He assured the farmers of proving them with best agri inputs to ensure food security in Ghana.
“We are very much appreciative of your generosity and your willingness to contribute to agriculture,” Hon. Eric Opoku, Minister of Agriculture said when receiving the items.
The Minister assured that everything that the industry has donated would be given to the farmers to improve production.
He called on other stakeholders to come on board to motivate the farmers to produce the food Ghana needs.
Farmers in the Kpassa market of the Nkwanta North District in the Oti Region have raised concerns over the drop in prices of their farm produce, attributing the situation to a shortage of buyers.
During a visit to the market by the Ghana News Agency, several farmers and traders mostly women were seen seated behind large basins filled with grains such as maize, soybean, gari, and dry cassava were waiting for customers.
Many of them lamented that the lack of buyers has forced them to sell their produce at prices far below the cost of production.
The farmers said they worked hard during the farming season, but now the prices were nothing to talk about, to even recover what they had spent on fertilisers and other farm inputs and even transportation cost.
Hajia Fozia, a trader, said the situation had persisted for several months with buyers from major towns and regions reducing their visits to the market, contributing to the low prices of farm produce.
Comparing the prices of their farm produced this year to that of last year, they said a bag of dry cassava, which was sold at a price above GH¢1,000 last year, now sells at a price of GH¢400, also gari, which sold at GH¢1,000 now sells at a price of GH¢600 per bag, this among many farm produce sells at a low price.
They however, called on the government to allow caterers under the school feeding program the Opportunity to patronise from the locals to reduce their hardship.
The farmers also urged the Ministry of Agriculture to put measures in place so that they could also benefit from their hard labour since it took a lot of stress in farming.
