Qatar to Invest $1.5bn in Ghana’s agriculture
Ghana’s agricultural sector is set to receive a major boost as the government of Qatar finalises plans to invest USD1.5 billion into food production by November 2025.
The partnership, announced by the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, represents one of the largest foreign direct investments into Ghana’s agricultural value chain in recent years.
Under the agreement, Qatar will secure and irrigate farmlands across the country, allocate them to farmers for large-scale cultivation, and subsequently purchase the produce for export to Qatar.
According to the Ministry, the initiative is expected to generate more than 2,500 direct jobs, enhance food security and significantly strengthen Ghana’s export capacity.
Transforming Agriculture into Agribusiness
Speaking at an interaction with journalists in Accra on Friday, Mr Opoku stressed that the investment underscores the Mahama administration’s commitment to positioning agriculture as the cornerstone of economic growth and job creation.
“USD1.5 billion is going into food production. You know Qatar does not have the land to produce the food to feed its population. What they want to do with us is to make the funds available, secure and irrigate land, allocate the land to farmers, who will then produce the food, after which Qatar will buy and export the produce,” he explained.
The Minister emphasised that the arrangement marks a new era of agribusiness, where agriculture will no longer be seen merely as subsistence farming but as a lucrative venture capable of attracting broad investment interest.
“Under this arrangement, agriculture will be agribusiness. It will be a money-making venture and everybody will be interested in doing that. In fact, we are done with them, and the assurance is that their German technical experts will be in the country to begin implementation from November into December,” Mr Opoku disclosed.
Wider Economic Impact
The Ministry of Food and Agriculture believes the Qatar deal will not only create direct employment but also generate thousands of indirect jobs across the value chain, including logistics, processing, storage and distribution.
The inflow of capital is also expected to enhance rural development, expand irrigation infrastructure and modernise farming practices.
Mr Opoku added that the government views this collaboration as a strategic win-win, where Ghana secures critical investment to modernise its agricultural sector while Qatar guarantees a stable food supply for its population.
“This is a demonstration of how global partnerships can be harnessed to achieve national development while meeting international demand,” the Minister noted.
The investment, he said, will pave the way for Ghana to become a regional hub for agribusiness, reinforcing agriculture as the backbone of the national economy.
