The Government of Ghana has unveiled a major agricultural initiative, the Feed Ghana Programme, to transform the country’s food production systems, reduce reliance on imports and create jobs for thousands of Ghanaians.
Launched as part of efforts to accelerate agricultural growth, the programme is expected to modernise farming, strengthen agro-processing and put community commodity farmer cooperatives/Farmer-based organisations (FBOs) at the heart of the country’s food security agenda.
Boosting agricultural productivity
Ghana’s agriculture sector has long struggled with low productivity due to limited access to inputs, weak mechanisation and poor market linkages.
The Feed Ghana Programme directly addresses these challenges. It aims to support farmers with improved seeds, fertilisers, mechanisation services and extension support while introducing climate-smart practices.
By investing in these areas, the programme promises to raise yields in cereals, legumes, vegetables, tubers and tree crops, while expanding livestock and poultry production.
The initiative prioritises value chains where Ghana has both high demand and untapped potential.
These include rice, maize, soybean, sorghum, millet, tomato, pepper, onion, cassava, yam, plantain, poultry, cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, cashew, shea, mango, coconut and oil palm.
By focusing on these commodities, the programme ensures that farmers can both feed the nation and supply raw materials for local agro-industries.
Reducing food imports
Ghana spends over two billion dollars annually importing rice, poultry, onions and other staples. This dependency drains foreign exchange and exposes the economy to global price shocks.
The Feed Ghana Programme aims to resolve this challenge by deliberately substituting imports with domestic production.
For example, boosting rice and poultry production is expected to significantly cut imports, while increasing vegetable production will ensure greater availability of tomatoes, onions, and peppers throughout the year.
By strengthening local supply chains, the programme not only saves the country foreign currency but also creates opportunities for farmers and processors to capture a larger share of the domestic food market.
Creating jobs for youth
A critical promise of the programme is job creation. From farm production and mechanisation services to storage, transportation, processing and marketing, thousands of direct and indirect jobs are expected to be created.
The youth, women and persons with disabilities are a key target group.
With support for training, financing and market access, they can take up opportunities in modern farming, agro-processing, input distribution and agribusiness services.
Sub-programmes
The programme aims to achieve its wide-ranging goals; the Feed Ghana Programme is built around nine sub-programmes:
* Crop Development– Improving cereal, legume, vegetable and tuber productivity.
* Livestock Development – Expanding poultry, cattle, sheep, goats and pig production.
* Farmer Service Centres – Establishing one-stop shops for seeds, fertilisers, mechanisation and extension.
* Farm Bank Development – Mobilising banks to extend credit tailored for farmers.
* Institutional Farming– Encouraging schools, prisons and hospitals to cultivate farms for self-reliance.
* Feed the Industry– Strengthening linkages between farmers and agro-processors.
* Infrastructure and Agro-Production Enclaves – Building irrigation systems, warehouses and production hubs.
* Innovative Agricultural Financing – Combining concessional loans, insurance and commercial bank lending.
* Institutional Development and Regulatory Framework – Ensuring policies and regulations support sustainable growth.
Together, these sub-programmes address production, financing, markets and institutional support, making the initiative comprehensive in scope.
Spotlight on farmer cooperatives
The most distinctive feature of the Feed Ghana Programme is its emphasis on farmer cooperatives and Farmer-Based Organisations (FBOs).
Recognising that individual farmers often struggle to access resources, the programme encourages them to organise into commodity-based groups to benefit from economies of scale.
Benefits for cooperatives
Access to inputs and mechanisation through Farmer Service Centres.
• Subsidised livestock and poultry inputs, including high-yield breeds.
• Market linkages with buyers and agro-processors.
• Agricultural credit and insurance via banks and mobile platforms.
• Capacity building in leadership, record-keeping and advocacy.
By working as cooperatives, farmers can produce more competitively, lower costs and negotiate better prices for their produce.
How farmers can participate
Participation in the programme is open, but structured. Farmers must belong to community-based FBOs or cooperatives.
Where these do not exist, they are encouraged to form new ones.
Farmers are also advised to contact their local Agricultural Extension Agents (AEAs) for information, sensitisation and guidance on registration.
How cooperatives and FBOs can participate
Groups with at least 15 members are eligible for the programme.
Registration requires information such as: Community name and type of commodity; Group size (between 15 and 40 members); Total cropped area of the cooperative and per farmer; and Status of the group (new or existing).
Existing groups must also indicate whether they are registered with the Department of Cooperatives, the District Assembly or the Department of Agriculture.
Applicants are expected to provide a membership list with names, sex, Ghana Card numbers, contact details and leadership information.
Role of agric departments
Regional and District Agricultural Departments will serve as the backbone of implementation.
They will provide technical backstopping, register new FBOs, validate information for existing cooperatives and monitor group activities.
They are also to lead educational campaigns to ensure farmers understand and benefit fully from the programme.
The Feed Ghana Programme is more than an agriculture initiative—it is an economic transformation agenda. By boosting productivity, reducing imports and creating jobs, the programme has the potential to reshape Ghana’s food systems and empower rural communities.
With farmer cooperatives at its centre, it ensures that smallholder farmers are not left behind but instead become key drivers of national food security and industrial growth.
When fully implemented, the programme could set Ghana on the path to self-sufficiency in food production while creating sustainable jobs and building a stronger economy for future generations.
The Ministry of Food and Agriculture rallies the nation to take this programme as a national agenda and fully participate in the programme at all levels to ensure successful implementation.
The writer is the Head, Public Relations Unit
Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA)
Email: opokugyamfi2207@gmail.com
