Agric Ministry Commits to Feeding Ghana and Boosting Industries

By Ernest kwaku Afram

The Ministry of Food and Agriculture has reaffirmed its commitment to transforming Ghana’s agricultural sector by focusing on practical solutions to food security, import reduction, and job creation. According to Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture, John Dumelo, the government is prioritizing action over rhetoric to ensure that agriculture becomes a key driver of economic growth.

Speaking at the PwC Ghana 2025 Budget Digest Forum on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, Mr Dumelo outlined a series of strategic initiatives designed to increase local food production, create employment, and support agribusiness, particularly among young people and women.

One of the key programs introduced by the ministry is “Nkoko Nkitinkiti” an initiative aimed at distributing poultry to about 55,000 households nationwide. The goal, according to the Deputy Minister, is to reduce Ghana’s heavy reliance on poultry imports, boost domestic poultry production, and create a sustainable supply chain for local consumption and industrial use. He noted that Ghana spends millions of dollars annually importing poultry, a situation the government is keen to reverse through this initiative.

“we have come out with a lot of programs like the famous Nkoko Nkitinkiti program, we are going to distribute over 55,000 poultry to households across the country to reduce the import of poultry” he said.

Beyond poultry, the government is also set to establish land banks, a policy that will see the state securing and providing land along with irrigation facilities to young farmers. Mr Dumelo explained that this initiative has three main objectives:

First ensuring food security by increasing local food production and reducing the country’s dependence on imports. Secondly supplying raw materials to local industries to drive agro-processing and manufacturing growth and lastly boost export by enabling Ghanaian farmers to produce surplus food items for international markets.

“we are doing the irrigation for wealth creation where we are going to have landbanks, we are going to give out land to the youth who want to get into agriculture and we are going to irrigate those lands for them” He added

Recognizing the role of women in agriculture, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture will also leverage the government’s new Women’s Banking Initiative, which aims to provide low interest loans to female farmers and agribusiness entrepreneurs. This move is expected to improve women’s access to finance, allowing them to expand their businesses and contribute significantly to national food production. With the 2025 national budget already presented and awaiting parliamentary approval, Mr Dumelo assured stakeholders that the government is fully prepared to implement these policies. He emphasized that agriculture must become a viable and attractive venture for Ghana’s next generation, urging young people to take advantage of these opportunities to create wealth and drive national development.