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How government can use marketing to strengthen agribusiness in Ghana (1)

Dr Ibn Kailan Abdul-Hamid Business News Dec - 15 - 2025 , 12:55

Agriculture remains a foundational pillar of Ghana's socioeconomic development.

It contributes to food security, the supply of industrial raw materials, job creation, and rural livelihoods.

Although its share of national GDP has gradually declined due to structural transformation, the sector still employs a substantial portion of the population, especially in rural areas.

Over the last decade, government interventions, including Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ), mechanisation schemes, fertiliser subsidies and irrigation development, have sought to boost productivity and modernise farming practices.

Development partners have complemented these efforts through investments in value chains, agronomic training, and digital innovations.

However, despite these investments, the agribusiness sector continues to face systemic constraints.

Farmers struggle with limited market access, unpredictable prices, weak bargaining power, post-harvest losses, inadequate processing, and fierce competition from imported products.

Most policy efforts have leaned heavily toward production enhancement, while marketing, the engine that drives commercialisation and value creation, has received limited attention.

Agriculture becomes agribusiness only when products reach consumers profitably, in value-added, differentiated forms. Government must therefore adopt a marketing-led approach to agricultural development.

This article explores how the government can deliberately employ marketing strategies: spanning consumer research, segmentation, product innovation, pricing systems, promotion, branding, distribution, capacity building, and partnerships, to expand markets, improve competitiveness, and strengthen agribusiness performance in Ghana.

Marketing connects the farmer to the consumer, ensures profitable sales, reduces waste, stimulates demand, and shapes consumer preferences.

Marketing refers to the science and art of discovering, creating, and delivering value to customers.

Within agribusiness, marketing transforms agricultural commodities into marketable, competitive, and trusted products. A marketing-driven agricultural strategy is essential because:

Production without markets

Ghana frequently experiences seasonal oversupply of rice, tomatoes, onions, cassava, yams, and maize.

Without structured demand or distribution channels, post-harvest waste increases and farmers lose income.

Consumers do not automatically choose local products. Consumer decisions are shaped by perception, quality cues, branding, and convenience, not just availability.

Imports dominate because they are branded and marketed effectively

Imported rice, chicken, processed tomatoes, and fruits often outperform local products due to stronger packaging, consistent quality, and aggressive promotion.

Value

Countries that transformed agriculture prioritised marketing to build strong brands and export competitiveness.

If Ghana is to unlock the potential of agribusiness, the government must shift from a production-led model to a market-led agricultural development framework.

The government can strengthen agribusiness by institutionalising consumer insight research. Understanding consumer preferences is the foundation for effective marketing.

Government-supported studies should identify:

• What products Ghanaian households prefer

• Why do some consumers prefer imported food

• How consumers perceive quality and packaging

• Health and nutrition concerns

• Urban demand for convenience foods

• Regional differences in taste preferences

• Willingness to pay for organic or sustainable products

Such insight enables better production planning, reduces mismatches, and informs investment decisions.

Institutionalising market intelligence systems

The government could establish a National Agricultural Market Research Directorate under the MoFA or collaborate with universities like the University of Professional Studies, Accra to conduct regular research on:

• Consumption trends

• Market gaps

• Export opportunities

• Retail patterns

This aligns with best practices in agribusiness development.

The majority of Ghana’s agricultural commodities are sold in raw form. Government can catalyse product development by supporting:

These zones provide shared infrastructure for processing, packaging, and storage, reducing costs for SMEs.

Incentives for value addition

Government can offer:

• Tax holidays for processors

• Subsidies for food packaging technologies

• Financial incentives for export-oriented agribusinesses

Strengthening standards and certification

Collaboration with the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), and Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) will ensure consistency and enable export readiness.

Universities like the University of Professional Studies, Accra, CSIR, and private companies can work together to develop new food products (snack foods, sauces, organic products, dried fruits, cassava-based foods, and more).

Value addition creates jobs, reduces waste, and enhances Ghana’s agricultural sector's international competitiveness.

Pricing is a core marketing function, yet farmers often have little control over it. Government can support fair pricing through:

A national digital platform can provide:

• Daily commodity prices

• Seasonal forecasts

• Buyer contacts

• Demand projections

This empowers farmers and reduces exploitation by intermediaries.

For key staples (rice, maize, soya, tomatoes), the government can introduce minimum prices during harvest seasons to stabilise incomes.

These allow farmers to store produce and sell it later when prices are better. The government-backed Ghana Commodity Exchange (GCX) should be expanded to more districts.

Quality-based pricing (grading) encourages farmers to improve quality and earn more. Effective pricing systems create predictable income and encourage long-term investment in agribusiness.

Government-led promotional campaigns are powerful tools for stimulating demand for local agricultural products.