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Growing our own food crops in our homes is key to national food security – Eric Opoku

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The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Hon. Eric Opoku, has emphasized that every citizen of Ghana should have a garden within their homes.

This declaration was made during a press conference at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture on April 3, 2025, ahead of the official launch of the Feed Ghana flagship program, which is set to take place on April 11, 2025.

During the press briefing, Minister Opoku highlighted that to achieve food sufficiency and mitigate food crises, it is essential for every Ghanaian to actively participate in the Feed Ghana Program.

He made a comparison between this new initiative and Acheampong’s historic ‘Operation Feed Yourself’ policy, noting that while both programs share a common objective, the Feed Ghana Program takes a more modern and different approach to agricultural development.

The Minister noted the importance of reviving the old school farm project, a once widely implemented initiative in various educational institutions across the country.

He suggested that if schools began producing a substantial percentage of the food they consume, it would help reduce the burden on the government to procure large quantities of food for schools under the school feeding program.

Schools would now cultivate their own food products, ensuring that students receive fresh and nutritious meals, while supporting the national food security agenda.

Hon. Eric Opoku further emphasized that should this revival occur, it would eliminate the complaints surrounding the school feeding program, as schools would have the resources and capacity to grow the food they eat.

The Minister assured that the government would provide the necessary tools, resources, and equipment to help schools work on their farms effectively.

Additionally, the Minister urged religious institutions to actively participate in the Feed Ghana program.
He noted that religious institutions, with their broad-based membership and community reach, are well-positioned to bring people together and mobilize support for the program, thereby making the program a reality.

Eric Opoku believes that the involvement of religious institutions would significantly contribute to the program’s success, creating a unified effort towards addressing food security.

The Minister again called on all district assemblies across the country to join the campaign of the Feed Ghana program.
He stated that the active participation of local government authorities is crucial for the program’s success, as it would ensure that the initiative reaches every corner of the country and truly benefits all Ghanaians.

“Together, we will forge a new path for Ghana’s agriculture. A path that enhances food security, revitalizes our economy, and empowers our farmers. It is time to turn our rich agricultural potential into a reality.”
“I urge all Ghanaians to join hands in supporting this initiative, as we work collectively towards a prosperous and food-secure Ghana,” Eric Opoku concluded.

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Ghana courts British investment as BII eyes agribusiness and financial sector support

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In a significant move to deepen foreign investment in Ghana, the Finance Minister, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, met with representatives from British International Investment (BII) to explore strategic opportunities, particularly in agribusiness and the financial sector. 

The meeting highlighted Ghana’s evolving investment landscape, with a focus on leveraging private capital for economic growth. “Ghana is open for business, and we welcome partners ready to grow with us,” Dr. Forson emphasized.

A major highlight of the discussion was Ghana’s upcoming Palm Industry Policy, aimed at diversifying the nation’s agricultural base beyond cocoa. 

The government plans to develop 50,000 hectares of oil palm, beginning with a $100 million investment for the first 20,000 hectares. 

“Our goal is to attract private sector investment into large-scale agribusiness that creates jobs and boosts export earnings,” said Dr. Forson.

The Finance Minister also extended an invitation to BII to support the repositioning and growth of Consolidated Bank Ghana (CBG), signaling a broader push to strengthen the banking sector. 

BII, which currently holds over $200 million in investments in Ghana—particularly in the energy sector—responded positively, reaffirming their long-term commitment to the country. 

“We see Ghana as a priority market in the region,” BII representatives noted.

In a promising development, BII is considering bringing its full Board to Ghana for the first time in nearly a decade, signaling renewed interest at the highest level. 

The institution also expressed readiness to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), forestry, and other key sectors. 

Dr. Forson concluded, “We are creating the right environment for investors who are committed to sustainable growth and shared prosperity.”

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Premix fuel pricing to be standardised nationwide – Dafeamekpor

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The National Chairman of the Premix Fuel Committee, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, has outlined the committee’s key priorities, emphasising the operationalisation of automated stations and ensuring uniform pricing of premix fuel across the country.

These measures aim to address challenges faced by fisherfolk and boat owners who rely on the product.

Speaking on the committee’s agenda on the Channel One Newsroom on Thursday April 3, Dafeamekpor highlighted the progress made in automating vending points, with 30 stations currently operational and plans to activate 80 more.

“Operationalisation of the vending points helps to reduce the participation of middlemen who naturally will want to purchase the fuel, hoard it and up the prices before selling to the final end users who are fisherfolk as well as our boat owners who ferry our people across the Volta Lake and in the coastal areas,” he explained.

Dafeamekpor also stressed the importance of price uniformity, noting that the committee has issued strict directives to ensure compliance.

“The other thing that will be top priority for my committee will be to ensure uniformity in pricing of the product across the country. We had our first quarter meeting today and have given strong directives and guidelines that any landing beach committee, whether inland or marine, that would sell this product to the boat owners and the fishermen above the price stipulated by the committee will be sanctioned,” he stated.

He warned that non-compliance would result in severe consequences, including the dismissal of committee members found guilty of overpricing.

Dafeamekpor also said the committee will train the landing beach committees to help educate the fisherfolks and stakeholders.

The committee’s initiatives are expected to enhance efficiency, curb exploitation by middlemen, and provide much-needed relief to those who depend on premix fuel for their livelihoods.

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Feed Ghana Initiative to ease Ghana’s $2b yearly Food Import Bill – Agric Minister

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Ghana’s food import bill is one of the major factors wreaking economic growth and development.

Although Ghana is blessed with abundant agricultural resources, Ghana has struggled with production inefficiencies due to lack of infrastructure, limited access to farm inputs, and weak integration within the agricultural value chain.

To ease the country’s import bill, strengthening the economy, and ensure food security, the President of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama on April 11, 2025, would launch a programme called FEED GHANA PROGRAMME in Techiman.

The PROGRAMME, according to the Minister, is designed to ease the exacerbating cost of food, thereby alleviating the food crisis in the country.

The Food and Agriculture Minister, Hon. Eric Opoku, mentioned this at a press briefing on April 3, 2025, in the Ministry’s conference room.

“The country’s heavy reliance on food imports, which totals over $2 billion per year, with poultry alone accounting for $300 million, places Ghana at risk of external market fluctuations and currency instability.”

“This dependency exacerbates food inflation, significantly affecting households and aggravating economic hardships for the most vulnerable populations,” the Minister said.

He indicated that the programme would boost agricultural production, feed Ghanaians, alleviate food crises, and create employment thereby easing the import bill.

The goal of the Feed Ghana Programme is to transform Ghana’s agricultural sector. He further said that Ghana’s agricultural sector is grappling with daunting challenges that jeopardize food security, economic stability, and overall national progress.

The smallholder farmers, who represent the backbone of the agricultural workforce, encounter formidable obstacles such as barriers to mechanization, difficulty in securing financing, and the absence of modern farming methods.

These challenges hinder their ability to scale operations and meet the increasing market demands. Additionally, substantial post-harvest losses persist due to insufficient storage and processing facilities, poor transportation networks, and inefficient market connections.

Eric Opoku affirmed that the Government of Ghana, through the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), has launched the Agriculture for Economic Transformation Agenda (AETA).

This initiative aims to drive the growth and modernization of the agricultural sector, with goals to bolster agribusiness development, secure food availability, mitigate food inflation, increase export revenues, and generate sustainable job opportunities.

He indicated that, to effectively realize this vision, MoFA is about to roll out the Feed Ghana Programme (FGP) as its flagship programme, a comprehensive program designed to implement all elements of the AETA.

The Feed Ghana Programme (FGP) is an integrated agricultural acceleration programme to boost agricultural production to feed Ghanaians, provide raw material for agro-industry, and create jobs.

These efforts are intended to ultimately ensure food security, alleviate inflationary pressures on food prices, increase export potential, and support sustained economic growth in the long term.

The Minister stated the goal of the Programme is to transform Ghana’s agricultural sector, reduce import dependency, and boost both domestic production and exports. “We aim to ensure food security and improve nutritional outcomes while creating sustainable employment and empowering our youth and women,” Eric Opoku said.

He highlighted the key initiatives of the programme, stating the advancement of SMART Agriculture, Vegetable Development Project, Support for Institutional Farming, Poultry Industry Revitalization, Livestock Development Initiative, and Feed the Industry Programme.
The Minister thereby called on all Ghanaians to rally behind the Feed Ghana Programme and make it a success.

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MoFA assures FSRP of enhanced agric trade practices

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The Ministry of Food and Agriculture has said it is prepared to tackle possible hindrances and challenges confronting national and regional agricultural trade policies, towards easing the free movement of agricultural produce and inputs across the sub region.

Sector Minister, Eric Opoku in his speech at the National Validation Workshop for the Implementation of the ECOWAS Agriculture Trade and Market Scorecard (EATM-S) Ghana, said, government is ready to address all violations and discrepancies in trade practices in order to ensure free movement of agricultural goods across the region in collaboration with other governments.

The West Africa Food Systems Resilience Programme (FSRP), which on behalf of government, is being implemented by MoFA, has a unified objective ‘to increase preparedness against food insecurity and improve the resilience of food systems in Ghana and the sub-region.

Component 3 objective of the FSRP, is to facilitate trade across key corridors and consolidate the region’s food reserve system and ECOWAS’ initiative to use the scorecard as a critical tool to assess compliance with regional trade policies and regulations in tandem with Ghana’s food security objectives.

In relation to this objective, the Minister applauded ECOWAS, and the FSRP as well as the EATS-S Ghana team for their work, as they worked to get hands-on insights to the realities faced by manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, traders, forwarding agents, logistics, shipping and transport companies, among others.

A Senior Agricultural Economist at the World Bank, Ashwini Sebastian said the EATM-S programme is a flagship initiative which is to positively erupt and revolutionize agriculture in the sub region.

“It is not an adhoc projects but has a lot of technical expertise from academia and the country technical team into the design of the trade market scorecard and collection of data. I congratulate the technical team including MoFA, FDA, and GSA among others in getting to the validation stage, which is incredibly important” Madam Sebastien noted.

She said there are five other countries in the validation stage, which are Sierra Leone, Togo, Chad and Niger.

According to her, these reports by the various countries will be validated in the ECOWAS ministerial council in June this year, and must be followed by a concerted efforts by the various countries to disseminate the validated information with traders, inspectors and policy makers.

The FSRP Project Coordinator in Ghana, Mr Osei Owusu Agyeman, said the objective of the FSRP is to address food security in the region and to measure the progress of food production in the whole food value chain.

“After a year of implementation, it is imperative that we measure the progress made and take lessons to continue into the future. It is for this reason that this validation workshop is critical” he said.

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Ghana’s fight against illegal fishing intensified, four vessels suspended

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The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture and the Fisheries Commission have suspended the fishing licences of four industrial trawl vessels operating within Ghana’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) for repeatedly violating the Fisheries Act and Regulations, including unauthorised trans-shipment, dumping of fish, and harvesting of juvenile fish.

According to a press release issued by the Public Relations Unit of the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture disclosed the vessels—Meng Xin 10 (Owners: Nassa Co. Ltd.), Florence 2 (Owners: Akrafi Fisheries), as well as Long Xiang 607 and Long Xiang 608 (Owners: Wannimas Complex Co. Ltd.), were found to have engaged in multiple illegal fishing practices, including unauthorised trans-shipment, dumping of fish, fishing in restricted zones, and harvesting of juvenile fish.

These practices severely threaten Ghana’s marine ecosystem, undermine efforts toward sustainable fisheries management and adversely affect the livelihoods of coastal fishing communities.

A press release issued by the Public Relations Unit of the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture said this became necessary due to repeated violations of the Fisheries Act, 2002 (Act 625) and the Fisheries Regulations, 2010 (L.1. 1968).

“In accordance with Sections 76(1) and 76(2) of the Fisheries Act, 2002 (Act 625), which empower the Minister to suspend licenses of vessels involved in repeated illegalities, the affected vessels have had their licences suspended for a period of twelve (12) months, effective 1st April 2025,” it added.

Ghana’s fisheries sector has long been challenged by overfishing and Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing activities, which continue to endanger marine biodiversity, erode the income of artisanal fishers and compromise national food security.

Practices such as illegal trans-shipment—locally known as Saiko—have particularly contributed to the depletion of key fish stocks and damaged the integrity of marine governance.

The Ministry said, “Section 132 of Act 625 criminalises illegal trans-shipment, while Regulation 33(2) of L.1. 1968 explicitly prohibits trans-shipment between industrial vessels and canoes.

These violations are not only breaches of domestic law but also contravene international obligations and hinder progress toward achieving Sustainable Development Goal 14, which seeks to conserve and sustainably use the ocean’s marine resources’.

It noted that “Despite ongoing stakeholder engagement, education and regulatory reforms, certain industrial fishing operators continue to act with impunity.

The Ministry reiterates its unwavering commitment to strict enforcement of fisheries laws and regulations as part of its mandate to safeguard Ghana’s marine resources.

“The Ministry takes this opportunity to caution all fishing operators, industrial, semi-industrial, and artisanal, to comply fully with the provisions of the law.

“The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture and the Fisheries Commission remain resolute in their mission to promote responsible and sustainable fisheries management in Ghana for the benefit of present and future generations, they assured.

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Agric Ministry, COCOBOD documents reveal US$15 million & GHC44 million deals

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The 44-year-old embattled former Director-General of the National Signals Bureau (NSB), Kwabena Adu-Boahene, was involved in extensive business dealings with COCOBOD during Dr Stephen Opuni’s tenure as Chief Executive, have been proven to be an outright lie.

Documents available to The Herald, reveal that Asaase Radio, attempted to link the former COCOBOD boss to Adu-Boahene’s financial dealings to shift focus from the latter’s controversial transactions at NSB and whitewash his reputation. 

According to official records, the first time Adu-Boahene’s fertiliser company, Glofert Limited, secured a contract with COCOBOD was in 2024 — long after Dr Opuni, had left office and was undergoing a criminal trial under the Akufo-Addo government.

The contract for the supply of Adikanfo Cocoa Fertiliser was awarded in October 2024, following approval from the Public Procurement Authority (PPA).

The agreement was for 300, 000 bags of 50kg granular fertiliser at a total cost of fifteen million seven hundred and fifty thousand US dollars (US$15,750,000).

Contrary to Asaase Radio’s claims, Glofert Limited, was commissioned as a fertiliser-blending factory at Asuboi in the Eastern Region by former Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia in August 2019 under the then-government’s One-District-One-Factory (1D1F) programme.

Adu-Boahene’s fertiliser company, later got several government contracts. For instance, documents from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) and the Public Procurement Authority, confirm that Glofert Limited was among five companies engaged under a Single Source Procurement Method to supply fertilisers for the Planting for Food and Jobs Phase II (PFJ 2.0) programme.

In December 2023, Glofert was approved to supply 5,000 metric tonnes of urea at a total cost of GHS43.9 million.

Further discrediting Asaase Radio’s assertions, official documents show that Glofert Limite,d was registered as an agent for VAT collection only in November 2018, with Business Registration Number CS097892017.

It is unclear, what scientific protocols COCOBOD, under Joseph Aidoo, adopted prior to purchasing Adikanfo Cocoa Fertiliser from Mr Adu Boahene.

 Dr Opuni was charged for sidestepping such arrangements ahead of purchasing Lithovit Foliar fertiliser from a businessman, Alhaji Seidu Agongo and his company, Agricult.,

Meanwhile, Ghana’s Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, has accused Mr Adu-Boahene of embezzling millions of dollars meant for a cyber defence project, allegedly diverting the funds into real estate ventures in Accra and overseas.

It is alleged that he used a private company, secretly operated in conjunction with his wife, to siphon funds from government contracts, thereby amassing significant personal wealth.

Despite these damning allegations, an article authored by Asaase Radio’s Editor, Wilberforce Asare, sought to paint Mr Adu-Boahene as a successful businessman whose wealth was independent of political dealings.

He mentioned that the former NSB boss owns a number of businesses in and outside Ghana, including Glofert Limited, describing the company as “a multimillion-dollar company and one of the biggest, if not the biggest, fertiliser company in West Africa, which owns the biggest fertiliser blending set-up in Ghana.”

The article falsely stated that, “Glofert did much business with COCOBOD when Dr Stephen Opuni was the chief executive officer of the entity.”

However, all available evidence indicates that Glofert Limited, did not receive any COCOBOD contracts while Dr Opuni was in office, rendering Asaase Radio’s publication inaccurate and misleading.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, March, the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, revealed that Mr Adu-Boahene was arrested in connection with an alleged financial scandal involving a $7 million cyber defence system contract.

Dr Ayine detailed the circumstances surrounding the case, citing financial misconduct and unauthorised transactions that diverted public funds meant for a critical national security project.

The Attorney-General explained that the cyber defence contract was intended to strengthen Ghana’s ability to detect, prevent, and respond to cyber threats, data breaches, and digital espionage. However, the funds allocated for the project were allegedly mismanaged.

“In his capacity as Director of the National Signals Bureau, Mr Adu-Boahene, on 30th January 2020, signed a contract on behalf of the Government of Ghana and the National Security on the one hand, and on the other hand, an Israeli company named RLC Holdings Limited,” Dr Ayine disclosed.

The $7 million contract was meant to acquire cyber defence system software. However, the Attorney-General alleged that just a week later, Mr Adu-Boahene made suspicious financial moves that raised red flags.

“On 6th February 2020, he then transferred an initial amount of GHS27,100,000 from the National Signals Bureau account at Fidelity Bank to a private BNC account at UMB. Official documentation on the transfer reveals that the amount was for the payment of cyber defence system software. He transferred the money to his private company.”

Authorities believe that the alleged diversion of funds has compromised Ghana’s cybersecurity infrastructure, thereby delaying the implementation of crucial security measures to protect sensitive national data.

Legal proceedings are expected to commence soon, with Dr Ayine assuring that the government remains committed to holding individuals accountable for financial mismanagement.

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Physically challenged agro-processor wants support to contribute to 24-hour economy

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A Physically Challenged agro-processors, Mr Kofi Vinyo Physically Challenged agro-processors has lauded the 24-hour economy, appealing for government support to contribute to the implementation of the policy for job creation, poverty reduction and progressive development.

Mr Kofi Vinyo, the Chief Executive Officer of the Kwatire-based Kofi Vinyo and Company Limited (KVCL), a solely organic agro-processing company said he needed urgent investment and support to procure modern machines and equipment.

With the machines, he told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the company’s farm and the factory alone could create direct and indirect jobs for 1,000 people, and more so run four shifts under the 24hour economy.

Currently, Mr Vinyo said the KVCL processed organic tiger nuts into oil and powder and had obtained International Organic Certification to export the products to the European Union market, the United States and Canada.

“We have done the EU organic, National Organic Programme (USA) and Biological Organic (Canada),” he stated, saying, that would pave the way for the company’s products to be sold in at least all the organic shops in those countries.

“In fact, it will interest you to know that we have invested hugely in all these because of the 24-hour economy, and we anticipate that the government will roll out for us to also contribute to the policy and better the lives of our people”, he stated.

On challenges impeding private sector growth and entrepreneurship, Mr Vinyo said entrepreneurs required some tax reduction and incentives, urging the government to do more to tackle the Ghana cedidollar depreciation too.

As the engine of growth and development, he said he appreciated efforts being made by the government to create an enabling environment for the private sector to thrive, saying the implementation of the 24hour economy alone could turn round the economic fortunes of the nation.

Mr Vinyo emphasised that entrepreneurship required discipline, creativity, and innovation, and urged Young entrepreneurs to strive and build their brands, cut expenses, and save more.

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Resetting Ghana’s Agriculture: Ghana to save millions of dollars by producing rice seeds locally.

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As part of resetting Ghana and the agriculture sector by reducing import and exchange rate to reduce high debt of rice seed importation, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture has entrusted a Korean company called Korea programme on International Agriculture (KOPIA) to produce rice seeds for production at Dawenya irrigation enclave in Accra.

To ensure effective supervision of the project, the Minister of Food and Agriculture Hon. Eric Opoku together with is deputy Hon. Farmer John Dumelo, some of the staff members and stakeholders in the agriculture sector visited the project site to witness the ongoing project.

Hon. Eric Opoku and his team on the field for inspection.

Narrating the advent of the visitation, Hon. Eric Opoku said KOPIA donated 300 tons of rice seeds to the ministry to be distributed to Ghanaian farmers. Although, the 300 tons were not enough according to the minister, the company has assured to expand their production to produce the needed quantity of seeds for the farmers. This action of producing seeds locally would bridge the importation gap which would save the country millions of dollars.

Minister mentioned that though the 300 tones would not be enough for this year’s planting season, but the government would procure the remaining seeds for the farmers. “KOPIA has assured they are expanding their supply capacity in order to supply our farmers with enough seeds, this fuelled our visitation to inspect the project as 100 hectors of land have been added to their land operation for the expansion”, he told Agric Today.

Samples of locally produced rice seeds by KOPIA for farmers

Quizzing the Minister on the quality and the production level of the rice seed he said KOPIA is specialized seed producing company and according to the samples planted, it would take 5months for harvest and its yields is as high as 5 tons per acre.

To this effect he said the seeds would improve the living standards of the farmers since there would be high production.

He commended KOPIA at the pace of work and urged them to effectively discharge their duties on time.

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Ghana needs urgent solutions to avert looming food crisis – GAWU

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The General Agricultural Workers’ Union (GAWU) has called on the government to urgently address financial and operational challenges at the National Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) to prevent a food crisis.

They noted that NAFCO, responsible for the national emergency food programme, was underfunded and required about GH¢700 million to effectively carry out its responsibilities.

Both the immediate past Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Hanan Abdul-Wahab, and the current one, Mr. George Abradu-Otoo, have said that the company could not respond to any disasters in its current state.

GAWU said that NAFCO was struggling to meet its mandate of purchasing, preserving, and distributing excess produce, such as maize, paddy rice, and soya beans from farmers.

The company, for almost a decade, had mostly stored imported food items and a few local products for distribution to secondary schools under the Free Senior High School programme.

Dr. Pascal Kaba, Deputy General Secretary of GAWU, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said the government must stop paying lip service to the agriculture sector.

He noted that NAFCO’s warehouses did not meet minimum standards set by the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) and the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), citing inadequate financing as the main problem.

Dr. Kaba called for immediate resource allocation, proper warehouses, and the establishment of produce buying centres closer to farming zones.

He urged the government to construct modern irrigation infrastructure and increase the number of officers assisting farmers to engage in year-round farming.

“It’s a very unfortunate situation. We have about 1.9 million hectares of irrigable land, but we are not making use of it.

“We keep getting spillage from the Bagre Dam, and all this water goes to waste. Meanwhile, in Burkina Faso, they have constructed two major dams for irrigation purposes.”

Dr. Kaba expressed concern over the lack of an agriculture service, asking, “The structure is bad for us. We do not have an agriculture service. How can that be possible?

“How can you have a whole sector, which is the main backstay of the economy, and it does not have a service?”

He recommended the creation of a Ghana Agriculture Service, like the Ghana Education Service and Ghana Health Service, to implement agriculture policies.

At a recent handing-over ceremony, Mr. George Abradu-Otoo promised to reposition NAFCO to ensure consistent food availability and price stability in the domestic market.

“Our focus is to fulfill our mandate by ensuring greater public access to foodstuffs, storing them for the lean season, and guaranteeing fair prices for farmers,” he said.

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