President John Dramani Mahama will lay the groundwork for the first farmer service center in Afram Plains this week, as part of a statewide initiative to create 50 centers to enhance agricultural productivity.
According to him, the first phase will cover 11 locations and offer farmers training, extension support, and mechanisation services to increase productivity.
At the opening of the first Ghana Agricultural and Agro-Processing Industrial Technology Fair (Ghana AgroTech Fair 2026), which is now taking place at Black Star Square, President Mahama made the announcement on Tuesday.
“Farmers will be required to register with their local farmer service centres and get mechanisation support in terms of tractors, ploughing, harrowing, transporting fertilisers and shellers for processing their grains,” he stated.
The Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, in partnership with the Ghana Export-Import Bank, is organising the three-day exhibition, which will take place from March 17 to 19 under the subject “Transforming Agribusiness through Local Innovation and Technology.”
According to President Mahama, investments in technology, irrigation, and climate-smart farming are necessary for Ghana’s agricultural transformation to address population expansion, climate change, and international competition.
He pointed out that an efficient, technologically advanced agriculture sector might promote exports and industrial development while guaranteeing food security.
He stated that “food security and export growth are not competing objectives” and that agriculture needs to be driven by innovation and integrated into global value chains.
The President called on all parties involved—farmers, youth, researchers, and investors—to contribute to the modernisation of the industry.
He revealed that on demonstration farms, researchers from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research have produced yields of four to five tonnes of wheat per hectare, which might help lower Ghana’s yearly wheat import bill of over $400 million.
President Mahama praised the expo as a forum for connecting institutions, promoting local solutions, and transforming ideas into jobs and economic development.
Mrs Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, Minister of Trade, Agribusiness, and Industry, revealed that a national agribusiness strategy, which will provide a strategic framework for the sector, was on its way to Cabinet approval.
She stated that the project was consistent with national and continental development agendas, such as the African Continental Free Trade Area and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
“We are creating the policy environment that rewards innovation, supports import substitution and opens export markets for Ghana-made agricultural solutions,” she stated.
The Ghana Export-Import Bank’s CEO, Mr. Sylvester Adinam Mensah, stated that the exhibition served as both a showcase and a stimulus for developing a robust export-driven economy.
He stressed that, in order to ensure sustainability and inclusivity, agriculture must go beyond production to include processing, packing, storage, and export.
Manufacturers, entrepreneurs, research institutes, farmers, and investors participate in the exhibition, which features locally created machinery, agro-processing equipment, and digital solutions.
Source: newsthemegh.com