Agro-Processing Expansion to Create Jobs – Minister
The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, has announced plans by the government to establish agro-processing industries across the country to provide ready markets for farmers, increase food production and create employment opportunities.
Speaking before Parliament’s Assurance Committee, the Minister said the initiative forms part of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government’s flagship Feed Ghana programme, which includes the Feed the Industry sub-programme aimed at linking agricultural production directly with industrial processing.
According to Mr. Opoku, the policy seeks to transform agriculture from a subsistence activity into a profitable commercial enterprise by ensuring farmers produce for guaranteed markets rather than relying on uncertain demand.
He explained that the integrated approach will increase food production, strengthen food security, generate employment and improve incomes for farmers while supporting the growth of Ghana’s agro-processing sector.
The Minister said government is replacing the traditional system where farmers produce without assured buyers with a demand-driven model that connects producers to processing industries through structured value chains.
He noted that under the new arrangement, farmers will produce commodities required by factories, ensuring stable markets and reducing post-harvest losses.
Mr. Opoku disclosed that the poultry industry is the first beneficiary of the programme through the government’s Nkoko Nkitinkiti initiative, under which farmers are receiving day-old chicks and other production inputs to expand local poultry production.
To absorb the anticipated increase in output, government is constructing a poultry processing centre at Bechem, which will purchase birds from farmers, process them and distribute finished products across Ghana and neighbouring markets.
According to him, construction of the facility is nearly 50 percent complete and is expected to be commissioned before the end of the year.
The Minister said value addition through agro-processing has the potential to create several additional jobs for every job created on the farm, making the programme a key strategy for reducing unemployment.
He further announced that government is partnering with private investors to establish a soy processing plant in Tamale, where farmers will benefit from buy-back arrangements and production support through organised cooperatives.
Mr. Opoku revealed that about 73,000 commodity-based cooperatives have already been registered nationwide to facilitate partnerships between farmers and processing companies.
He added that another private investor is working with the ministry to establish a sorghum processing plant in northern Ghana to create additional market opportunities for farmers.
The Minister also disclosed that investors from China and India have expressed interest in processing maize for export, with government facilitating the establishment of five maize processing plants in major producing districts.
Mr. Opoku said the overall objective is to reposition agriculture as a modern, profitable business capable of generating sustainable jobs, improving food security, boosting rural incomes and driving Ghana’s industrialisation agenda through stronger collaboration between farmers and agro-processing industries.
