Ghana

The Ministry of Food & Agriculture, MoFA through the West Africa Food System Resilience Programme (FSRP) has released 150 motorbikes to Agric Extension Agents in 10 regions around the country. These are Northern, Ashanti, North-East, Upper East, Bono, Bono East, Eastern, Central, Greater Accra and Volta Regions. The motorbikes are the first batch of 500 motorbikes to be distributed by the ministry.

Commissioning the motorbikes, at the MoFA Projects Office, Cantonments, Accra, Hon. Eric Opoku Minister for Food & Agriculture & MP for Asunafo South re-iterated government's commitment to modernizing agriculture through logistics support and technology-driven extension delivery under the FEED GHANA programme. He announced that the 150 motorbikes were being presented to AEAs, with 30 specially designed to accommodate female extension officers, reflecting MoFA’s drive for gender inclusivity.

The Minister acknowledged the World Bank’s vital role in funding the initiative under FSRP and applauded their continued partnership in building a resilient agricultural sector. He further revealed that 41,355 Community Commodity Farmer Cooperatives have been formally registered and encouraged them to democratically elect leaders, open bank accounts, and submit details to their district and regional directors of agriculture to qualify for future support.

The Project Coordinator of FSRP, Mr. Osei Owusu Agyeman outlined the importance of equipping AEAs to ensure last-mile delivery of digital tools, climate-smart agricultural technologies and localized agro-advisory services to farmers. He highlighted FSRP’s pillars of “Sustainability, Ownership & Public-private Partnership” engagement to ensure that FSRP’s intervention thrive beyond the project.

Present to receive the motorbikes on behalf of the AEAs were Regional Directors from FSRP’s intervention areas: Upper East (Zalcana Fuseini), North-East (Edward Masara), Bono (Dela Newman), Bono East (James Adu), Eastern (Haija Habiba Yusuf), Central (Peter Omega), Greater Accra (Eric Hudson), Volta (William), Northern, Hawa Musa (Rep. Fatawu Abdul), Ashanti, Godfrey Acheampong ( Rep. Benjamin Ninoni).

Andrea Akl, Deputy General Manager of ‘Qualiplast’ threw light on some Qualiplast products that support the practice of climate-smart agriculture.

MOFA, through FSRP is driving the dissemination of timely, location-specific agro-meteorological information and advisories; as well as the promotion of technology access and exchange of technologies through the delivery of CSA technologies, nutrition- and gender-sensitive, land, and water management technology packages. The project is also coordinating activities towards the sharing of knowledge regarding post-harvest food handling practices and marketing linkages.

These are being carried out and facilitated through regular field visits, events, demonstrations and farmer field school by Agricultural Extension Agents (AEAs) in strategic locations around the country.

The West Africa Food System Resilience Programme (FSRP) and Women in Poultry Value Chain (WIPVaC) have teamed up to promote local chicken consumption in Ghana to mark WIPVaC's 8th  anniversary.
The flagship event of this collaboration was held on Tuesday 29 April 2025 in Accra. It offered a festive atmosphere, with free tastings of tasty pieces of grilled chicken accompanied by kenkey and chilli, a promotional sale of fresh and frozen local chicken at knock-down prices, lively music, surprise guests and a variety of entertainment.
Created to bring together women active across the poultry value chain, WIPVaC brings together breeders, traders, distributors and processors of poultry products, as well as suppliers of maize, soya and day-old chicks. The organisation's ambition is to create economic opportunities for its members by strengthening their participation in the development of the poultry sector and stimulating inclusive and sustainable growth.
As part of the Poultry Intensification Programme (PIS), implemented by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) with the support of the FSRP, WIPVaC members have benefited from in-kind credits (chicks, feed, vaccines) as well as technical training. Their first production cycle, launched last year, is now complete, ready to supply the market with quality local broilers.
"We are proud to have marked our 8ᵉ anniversary by honouring our work, and above all by raising the profile of local chicken, produced by dynamic and innovative women," stressed a WIPVaC manager.
This partnership is fully in line with the FSRP's objective of strengthening regional food security by promoting climate-smart agricultural practices (CSA), improving biosafety and fully integrating women into commercial value chains.
The FSRP has supported 60 poultry farmers in the Central, Greater Accra, Eastern, Volta and Ashanti regions, providing them with credit for 50,000 chicks, feed and vaccines. To date, 25,000 chicks have been distributed, enabling beneficiaries to complete their first broiler production cycle. 
During the ceremony, Mr John Dumelo, Ghana's Deputy Minister of Agriculture, stressed the need to develop an effective marketing strategy to improve the availability of local chicken on the market, in response to growing demand. He also spoke of plans to build modern processing facilities to strengthen the poultry value chain. 

The World Bank's Regional Vice-President for Africa, Ousmane Diagana, visited key agricultural sites in Ghana, including the Kpong irrigation system in Asutuare and the Kpong Left Bank irrigation system.

His visit on 13 January 2025 underlined the World Bank's commitment to supporting Ghana's agricultural transformation and promoting economic growth through sustainable agricultural practices.

The World Bank's involvement in the Ghana Agricultural Trade Project has yielded impressive results, with productivity reaching almost six tonnes per hectare, just short of the target of seven tonnes. These results demonstrate the transformative impact of the project on Ghana's agricultural sector.

During the discussions, Mr Diagana highlighted Ghana's strategic position as a regional hub, offering opportunities for collaboration with neighbouring countries such as Sierra Leone to improve agricultural productivity.

He highlighted the economic benefits of increasing local rice production to reduce dependence on imports. By focusing on local production, Ghana could channel funds into key sectors such as education and healthcare, while creating jobs across the agricultural value chain.

The World Bank has pledged to fill the financing gap of $30 million for the implementation of the Food Systems Resilience Programme (FSRP) to improve irrigation and agricultural productivity.

The World Bank reaffirmed its commitment to supporting such initiatives, stressing the importance of ambitious targets and strong partnerships. Mr Diagana called for greater collaboration with the private sector to create an environment conducive to agricultural investment, which would stimulate job creation and strengthen economic resilience.

Mr Osei Owusu Agyeman, National Coordinator of the Food Systems Resilience Programme (FSRP-Ghana), highlighted the initiatives underway under the FSRP, including the construction and renovation of veterinary laboratories in Dormaa Ahenkro and Accra, as well as laboratories and seed banks at CSIR facilities in Bunso, Kumasi and Tamale, designed to strengthen links between research and industry. In addition, warehouses, border posts and markets have been rehabilitated to strengthen regional trade capacities. 

The FSRP Ghana has a number of key achievements to its credit, including support for priority commodities such as maize, rice, soybeans, tomatoes and poultry; the promotion of climate-smart, youth- and gender-sensitive technologies; and the monitoring of pests and diseases to protect crops and livestock. The purchase of 20 automated weather stations for the Ghana Meteorological Agency is a key step towards providing local weather forecasts and climate information tailored to farmers. The PRSF's initiatives are based on the pillars of sustainability, ownership and public-private partnerships, all of which aim to strengthen Ghana's preparedness against food insecurity.

As part of the activities organised for National Farmers' Day (AGRIFEST 2024), the West Africa Food System Resilience Programme (FSRP/PRSA) presented an original initiative entitled the "FSRP Chicken Road Show". This road show, initiated by Ghana's Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), promoted locally produced broiler chicken, offering the public the opportunity to sample between 1,000 and 2,000 chickens free of charge during festivities organised at Efua Sutherland Park in Accra/Ghana.

In 2021, imports of chicken and chicken products into Ghana exceeded $300 million. To address this import dependency, MOFA and FSRP are implementing a Poultry Intensification Programme (PIS). With funding of 12.5 million dollars over five (5) years, this programme aims to revitalise the local broiler industry by supporting the production, processing and marketing of at least two million birds per year.

Through input credits, beneficiary farmers receive day-old chicks, feed and vaccines. They are also trained in modern best practices and climate-resilient technologies. Matching grants enable them to acquire equipment for processing and cold storage, essential elements for sustainable and competitive production.

In July 2024, 22 farmers from six (6) regions - Ashanti, Bono, Volta, Greater Accra, Central and Eastern - were selected to join the programme. Since then, eight (8) of them have received: 360,500 day-old chicks, 911,000 doses of vaccines (including HBI, Lasota, Umboro 1 & 2) and 1,179 tonnes of feed.

These efforts, representing an investment of almost USD 830,000, have resulted in the production of around 400,000 chickens in just four months (up to the end of October 2024).

Chickens produced under the FSRP/PRSA are subject to rigorous inspections by control teams made up of representatives from the APD-MOFA, the Department of Veterinary Services and the FSRP/PRSA's social and environmental experts. These inspections ensure compliance with industry standards, particularly in terms of biosecurity, feed quality, vaccination protocols and general poultry health.

This travelling exhibition did more than just promote local chicken. It also highlighted the efforts of MOFA and FSRP/PRSA to develop sustainable, healthy and affordable poultry production. By tasting these grilled chickens on site, the public was able not only to appreciate their quality, but also to better understand the importance of supporting local producers.

With the support of the World Bank, this initiative symbolises Ghana's commitment to building a self-sufficient, sustainable and resilient poultry industry that benefits both producers and consumers.

In order to address the annual fluctuations in tomato prices in the country and to ensure the year-round availability of tomatoes in Ghana, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, through the West Africa Food System Resilience Programme (FSRP), deployed a combination of interventions in selected tomato production sites in the country, mainly in Northern Ghana. As part of this initiative, a number of practical field exercises were organised for technical agricultural managers.

Supported by a Norwegian grant of $2,274,300 and supervised by the World Bank, the project aims to reorganise the Ghanaian tomato industry with a view to dry-season production.

A total of 1,500 tomato growers will be supported by the FSRP's Norwegian tomato programme, with inputs and knowledge upgrading with a view to producing a total of 10,000 tonnes of tomatoes by February next year.

At Tono, in north-east Ghana, the practical training consisted of germination tests, the preparation of carbonised rice husks for biochar, the sterilisation of soil environments, the establishment of nurseries in trays and crates, the establishment of ground nurseries, the construction of anti-insect nets and soil solarisation.

Tomatoes are an essential part of the Ghanaian diet, accounting for 40% of expenditure on vegetables. However, only 34% of the 1.4 million tonnes of tomatoes consumed each year are produced locally, resulting in substantial imports (particularly between December and May).

The training of tomato growers and other players in the tomato value chain, which will be provided by the technical services of Ghana's Ministry of Food and Agriculture, will enable growers to use quality seeds that are well adapted to local seasonal and climatic variations. This training will help to overcome the logistical problems associated with pest and disease control, limited extension services, and poor agronomic and farming practices that lead to low yields in tomato production. 

The West Africa Food System Resilience Programme (FSRP) has mobilised 120 agricultural extension workers, 56 programme officers and 56 district directors of agriculture to disseminate and encourage environmental and social risk management (ESRM) practices among farmers in the southern, central and northern zones of FSRP project sites in Ghana. They also improved their knowledge of gender concepts and the analysis and handling of gender-related incidents.

The FSRP is required under the World Bank's Environmental and Social Framework (ESF) and Ghana's national environmental requirements to ensure that all project activities comply with the requirements of the framework by conducting all project activities in an environmentally sustainable and socially acceptable manner. Where there are gaps in any of the policies, the most stringent policy will be applied. In addition, to competently manage stakeholder expectations, the scope of the project must be sufficiently detailed for stakeholders to understand it.

Participants will in turn be responsible for guiding farmers to comply with the ESRM requirements and integrate gender dimensions into all project activities. They are also expected to play a monitoring role in this regard and alert the PRSF project implementation unit to respond in a timely manner to stakeholders' concerns regarding project activities.

To this end, participants were introduced to the World Bank's Environmental and Social Framework (ESF), Environmental and Social Commitment Plan (ESCP), Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP), Labour Management Procedure (LMP), Integrated Pest Management Plan (IPMP), Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and Sexual Harassment (SEA/SH).

The FSRP is expected to achieve a 40% inclusion rate of women in all project activities, in line with the gender strategy developed for the project. Ghana's gender action plan to achieve this goal requires that all implementing partners be trained to intentionally mainstream gender in all project sub-projects.

The session on gender, which covered basic gender concepts, gender analysis tools, the seasonal calendar, the daily activities table, the gender division of labour and extension advisory services, provoked emotional discussions among the participants, particularly on the stereotyped domestic roles of the two sexes.

The PRSP's environmental risk specialist, Emelda Adii, pointed out to participants that some stakeholders see projects as risk factors to be avoided and are therefore unwilling to participate in project activities. It is therefore necessary to involve them with clearer messages, in a transparent and regular manner, taking into account their fears and expectations.

The FSRP's social risk specialist, Adu Nyarko Andorful, pointed out that project sites cannot use bonded labour, such as prisoners, even if they are willing to do the work. He also pointed out that child labour is not permitted on project sites and that such cases must be reported to the FSRP. 

The World Bank's Country Director for Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone, Robert Taliercio O'Brien, has praised the inner strength of farmers affected by this year's drought in northern Ghana and encouraged them to remain determined. He was visiting parts of northern Ghana to inspect sites of the FSRP (West Africa Food Systems Resilience Programme) project, where World Bank-funded projects are being implemented to increase the resilience of food systems in Ghana and the sub-region to climate-related agricultural crises.

During interactions with farmers and members of the media, Mr Obrien said that "as demoralising and heartbreaking as it may be, I am very motivated by the determination and resolve of the tireless farmers I have met, who are facing up to the situation and moving forward. I have come to deliver a single message: the World Bank stands with you in these difficult times and we pledge to continue to support Ghana and the sub-region to build and promote robust value chain systems to ensure that we emerge unscathed and even stronger during and after nature's unpredictable and inevitable trials."

Mr Obrien was pleased to learn that communities near the World Bank-funded irrigation sites had not been affected by the devastating effects of the recent drought, as the irrigation systems had enabled them to farm during the dry season. Working with the World Bank Ghana and FSRP teams, the Country Director inspected the Tono Irrigation Scheme facilities, which were rehabilitated with funding from the World Bank and the Ghanaian government under the former Ghana Commercial Agriculture Project (GCAP). He inspected the dam wall, reservoir and spillway. At the water intake, he inspected the operation of the automation system used to open and close the valve that allows water to enter the main irrigation channel. In Zone B, he inspected the solar installation (including solar panels and solar pumps) that delivers the water to the farmland on the higher ground. They also drove through Zone A to observe farmers in their fields and chat with them. Mr Obrien then made a brief stop at the bifurcator, where the main canal divides into two canals, the Left Bank Canal (LBC) and the Right Bank Canal (RBC). They then crossed Zone C along the LBC to Lateral F14, where he spent some time chatting to farmers.

Mr Obrien emphasised that the World Bank and the Government of Ghana are ready to build on GCAP's achievements and strengthen them further through the PRSP. Key among these are the completion of work on the Vea Irrigation Scheme (VIS) and other interventions on the Tono Irrigation Scheme (TIS). Through the FSRP, the World Bank and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) are supporting production intensification by providing input credits to farmers in the scheme. Thanks to a Norwegian grant, farmers in Tono will receive inputs to grow 50 hectares of tomatoes using solar pumps in Zones B and O. The FSRP is continuing its on-farm demonstration activities to promote proven CSA (Climate Smart Agriculture) technologies in tomato cultivation and is setting up adaptive trials to assess the suitability of locally produced tomato seeds. Logistical support is also planned to facilitate the implementation of FSRP activities by agricultural extension agents.

Mr Robert Taliercio O'Brien assured the farmers that the World Bank would not be content simply to provide funds. "We will be with you on the ground, every step of the way, and we will not stop until our goal of credible food security is achieved".

Ms Ashwini Sebastian, Senior Agricultural Economist at the World Bank in Ghana and leader of the FSRP task team, said that irrigation is only one link in the agricultural value chain and does not alone achieve the expected quality and yields in food production. Other interventions in the value chain, including the adoption of innovative methods, the use of climate-smart seeds and other value-added interventions, need to be integrated; and this is exactly what the World Bank is looking to focus on and support in the future. 

The West Africa Food System Resilience Programme (FSRP Ghana) brought together a team of scientists, practitioners, extension workers, value chain actors, institutional representatives and other stakeholders from the 20th to the 21st to identify, examine and select locally developed, tested and proven innovations and technologies for climate-smart agricultural practices in Ghana.

They also examined locally applicable technologies developed by the PRSP's regional research partners - the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF) and the CGIAR - a consortium of international agricultural research institutions. The exercise is in line with the implementation of a key PRSP objective to promote at least 15 climate-smart, nutrition-sensitive, youth-friendly and gender-responsive technological innovations for adoption by 240,000 beneficiaries in selected PRSP value chains.

Based on their experiences and interactions with local and foreign stakeholders, the experts shared their knowledge of the innovative agricultural technologies they have studied, developed, tried and tested. These exchanges were followed by debates and deliberations on the implications, challenges and opportunities of the technologies presented. The experts also dissected advances in genetic engineering - including plant and animal breeding; sustainable plant and animal production systems; advances in animal health; sustainable agroecology and agroforestry engineering technologies - including mechanisation and irrigation, among a range of topics.

The team has already developed the first draft of a set of technologies (a bouquet of technologies in the FSRP value chains - rice, maize, soya, poultry and tomatoes), from soil preparation to waste management.

The national coordinator of the FSRP-Ghana, Osei Owusu Agyeman, urged the think tank to take into account the cost-benefit analysis of the adoption and use of these new technologies. In his view, this would enable potential beneficiaries and consumers to better evaluate and compare existing technologies, taking into account the themes on which the FSRP-Ghana's activities are anchored: "We should at all times be thinking about how to attract private sector interest in everything we do," he added.

To ensure better visibility and understanding of innovative agricultural technologies among stakeholders, the FSRP will promote increased awareness and interest in the adoption of new agricultural technologies among its priority commodities. To this end, a catalogue of appropriate technologies to be disseminated by the FSRP and MOFA will be developed, training protocols will be updated, on-farm demonstrations will be set up, and demonstration manuals and videos will be produced to train farmers in the application of these innovations.

The team is also responsible for identifying opportunities for the development of future innovations and for devising ways of scaling up these technologies in the agricultural sector.

A team of specialists in agricultural trade issues visited four markets in the northern, central and southern districts of Ghana to assess their viability as centres for cross-border trade in agricultural products in the West African sub-region.

This activity, part of the implementation of the West African Food System Resilience Programme (FSRP), provided an opportunity for discussions with market women, district assembly authorities and the directors of agriculture in the districts where the markets are located. The markets assessed by the team are the Fumbisi market in the North region, the Abofour and Agogo markets in the Ashanti region and the Denu market in the Volta region.

For each market, the assessment covered market infrastructure, market management, viability of regional trade and marketing, safety and disaster management systems, food handling, food safety and quality controls, and welfare provisions.

The FSRP aims to support key value chain activities through the implementation of relevant interventions to improve food insecurity preparedness and strengthen the resilience of agri-food systems in West Africa. In Ghana, the project's priority value chains are rice, maize, soya and poultry (with a focus on broiler production). One of the PRSF's main interventions, called Component 3, focuses on promoting regional trade as part of measures to ensure food security and resilience in member countries. Farmers and traders in the sub-region engage in substantial cross-border trade in agricultural products, but this activity faces a number of challenges that impede the free flow of trade. The aim of this activity is therefore to facilitate trade and the movement of agricultural products between Ghana and its neighbouring countries in these main market centres.

The team also examined the state of safety and disaster management in each market. This included recurring and potential disasters, presence or proximity of fire stations or hydrants, emergency coordination protocols or arrangements, prevalence of crime, internal security arrangements, presence or proximity of police stations, police posts or barriers.

In line with standard FSRP requirements, the team assessed the attention paid by each market to the well-being of its users in terms of health care, welfare and hygiene. The presence of health posts, infirmaries or first aid facilities was studied, as was the existence of crèches or nurseries on the market premises, the proximity of primary schools and the necessary provisions to discourage the prevalence or potential for child labour practices.

The four (04) markets were selected for evaluation after extensive consultations with regional and district directors of agriculture, as centres for promoting trade in the FSRP's value chain products - rice, maize and soybeans. The FSRP will carry out rehabilitation and upgrading work to better position them as centres for the expansion of agricultural trade in the region.

The results of the evaluation exercise will be presented to the PRSP Project Implementation Unit, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the World Bank for further consideration.