11 Farmer service centres to be established nationwide — President
The government is set to establish 11 new farmer service centres across the country to improve access and support for smallholder farmers, President John Dramani Mahama has said.
He said the new centres would be equipped with essential machinery such as tractors, planters, harvesters, and other modern tools, all of which would be deployed to offer on-demand mechanisation services directly to farmers in the communities.
“As part of the Big Push, the Finance Minister has approved funds to be released for 11 out of 50 farmers’ service centres to be located in farming zones across the country.
“These tractors and equipment will not be sold to farmers, but stationed at strategic farmer service centres to provide mechanisation support.
“What farmers really need is not to own tractors and combine harvesters, but access to the services,” he said.
President Mahama was speaking at the maiden National Agribusiness Dialogue 2025 in Accra yesterday, on the theme: “Resetting agribusiness for inclusive and sustainable industrial growth.”
The day’s event, a platform aimed at accelerating the country’s agribusiness transformation by fostering a conducive ecosystem for policy, investment and innovation, was hosted by the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, in partnership with Agri-Impact Limited and other development partners.
It was attended by the Minister of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare; the Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh; the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Emelia Arthur; the Deputy Minister of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Sampson Ahi; the Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, John Dumelo, and the Group CEO, Agri Impact Limited, Daniel Fahene Acquaye.
Other attendees were private sector leaders, development partners, financial institutions and farmer-based organisations.
Rationale
The President explained that the intervention forms part of ongoing efforts to modernise agriculture and empower rural communities with the tools and services necessary for increased productivity.
It also aligns with a broader national strategy to strengthen the agribusiness sector, enhance productivity, and contribute to the realisation of the government’s flagship 24-hour Economy agenda.
The President said the model sought to remove barriers to access by bringing equipment closer to farmers, thereby reducing costs, improving efficiency, and promoting timely land preparation and harvesting.
Feed the Industry
The President said the government was implementing the Feed the Industry programme to transform agri-processing industries into sustainable engines of economic growth by securing consistent high-quality supply chains.
Implementation of the programme rests on four key pillars - commercial farmer development and value chain integration that would empower commercial farmers by providing access to land, finance, and technical support, while linking them to smallholders.
It would include post-harvest growth solution centres, and processing infrastructure would be established as industrial hubs with aggregation, storage, and processing facilities in major agricultural zones.
The programme would also offer industrial linkages and market development that would be fostered through formal partnerships between farmers and processors, supported by contract farming and real-time market intelligence.
It would also establish a dedicated programme implementation unit at the ministry to monitor frameworks and ensure effective programme management and institutional development, President Mahama added.
Expanded mandate
Mrs Ofosu-Adjare also said that her outfit’s expanded mandate to integrate agribusiness marked a significant turning point in the approach to and development of the agricultural sector.
“It calls for a clear and comprehensive national agribusiness policy that is inclusive, forward-looking and aligns with the industrialisation and economic transformation agenda,” she added.
The Group CEO of Agri Impact Limited, Daniel Fahene Acquaye, called for a bold shift from pilot projects and small-scale interventions to large-scale agribusiness investments that can drive real transformation.
He also urged the government to establish a dedicated fund to provide financial support and resources for the development of the agricultural sector in the country.
