The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ghana, in collaboration with East-West Trade, the Ghana Netherlands Business and Culture Council (GNBCC), and other partners, organized a Dutch Horticulture Trade Mission to Ghana from October 28 to 1 November 2025.
The mission featured not only participation in the 7th Edition of the Agrofood & Plastprintpack Fair in Accra, but also field visits to the North to visit horticultural sites and engage with key stakeholders.
The five-day mission brought together 14 leading Dutch agribusinesses and expert organizations for a strategic program designed to explore partnerships, facilitate knowledge exchange, and strengthen cooperation in Ghana’s fast-growing horticulture sector.
Activities included participation in the Agrofood Fair, the launch of the Ghana Seed Partnership (GSP), matchmaking sessions with Ghanaian businesses in Accra and Tamale, field visits, and a networking cocktail.
The mission built on the success of the trade mission of last May, using the momentum to strengthen partnerships, but also exploring new networks.
Representing the Netherlands at the opening of the Agrofood Fair, the Head of Economic Affairs at the Embassy, Dr Rens Twijnstra, highlighted the growing Dutch presence in Ghana’s horticulture sector.
“This year, our pavilion has doubled in size, with 14 Dutch companies showcasing innovations in climate-smart agriculture, seed technology, and sustainable value chain development. This growth symbolizes the deepening collaboration between Ghana and the Netherlands,” he noted.
Participating Dutch companies included Advance Consulting, Agriterra, Bakker Brothers, Celtic Cooling, East-West Seeds, Den Ouden Growsolutions, Holland Farming, Holland Greentech, IDH, Koppert, Seed NL, Safisana, Spaak Circular Solutions, and Vegtech Netafim.
GSP launch
After months of dedicated work and an in-depth assessment of the seed sector, the Netherlands Embassy and its partners officially launched the Ghana Seed Partnership (GSP), on October 29, 2025.
The partnership aims to enable collaboration between public and private actors from Ghana and the Netherlands in order to build a sustainable, high-performing seed sector that supports smallholder farmers and advances Ghana’s agricultural transformation.
Opening the event, the Project Managers of the programme, Fred Frimpong and Nieke Westerik, explained that the GSP builds on years of Dutch–Ghanaian collaboration in agriculture and now focuses on sustainable, market-driven solutions.
The project will be implemented by GNBCC, Advance Consulting with support from RVO and the Netherlands Embassy.
The partnership aims to build a sustainable, high-performing seed sector that supports smallholder farmers and advances Ghana’s agricultural transformation.
The GSP brings together 13 key stakeholders, including Truvalu, Simba, Enza Zaden, Bakker Brothers, IWAD, Profyta, East-West Seed, Rijk Zwaan, Zasco, GNBCC, Advance Consulting, Wageningen University and Research (WUR), and SeedNL.
Delivering the keynote address, H.E. Jeroen Verheul, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Ghana, said: “For many years, Ghana and the Netherlands have worked together in strengthening the horticulture sector. Today we are taking the next step in collaboration. We are, quite literally, planting a seed for deeper and more structured cooperation between our countries and partners.”
Representing the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, the Director of Crop Services, Dr Solomon Gyan Ansah reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the partnership, emphasizing that it aligns with national priorities in seed production, certification, and commercialisation.
“We must ensure that farmers have access to the right, high-quality seeds and the right environment to thrive,” he said.
The launch concluded with a symbolic seed planting and sod-cutting ceremony, by Jeroen Verheul, together with Charles Nornoo from GROW 24 and Dr Solomon Gyan Ansah from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, marking the beginning of a new phase of Ghana–Netherlands cooperation in agribusiness.