Trade Ministry to Lead Raw Material Expansion for 24-Hour Production
By Praisebell Rosemond Larbi
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Agribusiness is spearheading a large-scale raw material expansion strategy aimed at powering Ghana’s 24-Hour Economy, with a strong focus on youth employment, industrial productivity, and export growth.
Working in collaboration with relevant sector ministries, agencies, and private-sector partners, the Ministry is positioning Feed Industries as a core implementation pillar of the 24-hour production agenda. The initiative reframes agriculture as a strategic industrial input system designed to sustain round-the-clock factory operations while strengthening domestic value addition.
At the heart of the programme is a commitment to expand industrial raw material supply at scale, ensuring that factories operating day and night are not constrained by seasonal shortages or inconsistent input flows.
15,000 Acres Secured for Youth Agro-Industrial Programme
Under the new framework, government has secured over 15,000 acres of land in the Central Region, with additional tracts identified across other regions, to implement a Youth in Exotic Crops and Agro-Industrial Value-Chain Programme.
Unlike traditional agricultural schemes focused solely on farm output, the initiative is explicitly structured to “feed factories, not just farms.” Production will be aligned directly with processing capacity and export demand.
Priority crops include pineapple, citrus, avocado, mango, coconut, papaya, ginger, and other strategic inputs for the food, beverage, and agro-processing industries.
The Feed Industries model is designed to deliver:
• Large-scale, structured production of industrial and export-grade crops
• Guaranteed, year-round raw material supply to processing plants
• Reduced factory downtime and improved capacity utilisation
• A transition from raw commodity exports to value-added, export-ready products
Anchoring 24-Hour Production
Within the Central Region agro-industrial corridor, key processors such as Ekumfi Fruit & Juices Limited and Central Citrus Processing Limited (CCPL) are expected to serve as anchor off-takers under the framework.
These companies stand to benefit from long-term, predictable raw material supply arrangements, stable pricing structures, and improved competitiveness through sustained 24-hour factory operations. The model also incorporates structured youth participation through contract farming and shared-grower systems.
18,000+ Youth Jobs and Integrated Enclaves
The programme is projected to generate over 18,000 direct and indirect jobs, spanning farming, mechanisation, aggregation, processing, logistics, quality assurance, packaging, and export operations.
A distinctive feature is the Youth Agro-Industrial Enclave Model, which integrates employment with accommodation. On-site or near-site housing enclaves will be developed within production and processing zones to support shift-based work schedules, reduce transport costs, and enhance worker safety and retention.
This approach ensures that labour availability and welfare reinforce, rather than constrain, continuous industrial production.
Driving Exports and Import Substitution
Through the Feed Industries framework, the Ministry aims to expand raw material supply for round-the-clock processing, drive import substitution in juices and concentrates, and increase export earnings from processed agro-industrial products.
The model is expected to serve as a scalable blueprint for linking agriculture, industry, and trade, supporting Ghana’s broader ambition of achieving sustainable industrialisation under the 24-Hour Economy agenda.
