Accra, March 17,– President John Dramani Mahama is set to break ground this week on the first farmer service centre at Afram Plains, a key step in the Government’s plan to establish 50 centres nationwide to support agricultural production.
Speaking at the maiden Ghana Agricultural and Agro-Processing Industrial Technology Fair (Ghana AgroTech Fair 2026) at Black Star Square, the President said the first phase will roll out 11 centres, offering mechanisation services, extension support, and farmer training aimed at boosting productivity.
“Farmers will register with their local centres to access tractors, ploughing, harrowing, fertiliser transport, and shellers for grain processing,” he explained.
The three-day fair (March 17–19), organised by the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry in partnership with the Ghana EXIM Bank, is themed: “Transforming Agribusiness through Local Innovation and Technology.”
President Mahama highlighted the importance of a technology-driven agricultural sector in responding to climate change, population growth, and global competition. He noted that modernisation could strengthen food security, increase exports, and drive industrial growth.
He pointed to wheat demonstration farms by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, which have achieved yields of four to five tonnes per hectare—a development that could cut Ghana’s annual $400 million wheat import bill.
The President called on farmers, youth, researchers, and investors to embrace innovation and support the sector’s modernisation. He described the fair as a platform for linking institutions, showcasing local solutions, and translating ideas into jobs and economic growth.
Mrs. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, Minister of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, noted that a national agribusiness policy was near Cabinet approval, aiming to provide a strategic framework aligned with Africa’s continental development agendas, including AfCFTA and Agenda 2063.
“The policy will encourage innovation, support import substitution, and open export markets for Ghana-made agricultural products,” she said.
Mr. Sylvester Adinam Mensah, CEO of Ghana EXIM Bank, emphasised that the sector must go beyond production to include processing, packaging, storage, and export, while remaining sustainable and inclusive.
The fair features locally developed machinery, agro-processing tools, and digital solutions, attracting manufacturers, startups, research institutions, farmers, and investors.
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