Agribusiness Stakeholders Congratulate President-Elect John Dramani Mahama, Outline Priorities for Agricultural Transformation
The Chamber of Agribusiness Ghana, along with the Federation of Association of Ghanaian Exporters (FAGE), the Ghana Vegetable Exporters and Producers Association, and the Ghana Rice Inter-Professional Body, have extended warm congratulations to His Excellency John Dramani Mahama on his election as President of the Republic of Ghana.
In a joint statement, the groups expressed optimism that President Mahama’s leadership would usher in a new era of growth and development for the agricultural sector.
Quoting Ghana’s first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, they highlighted agriculture’s immense potential to “feed and transform Ghana’s and Africa’s agro-industries,” emphasizing that a paradigm shift is necessary to maximize its impact on industrialization and the government’s proposed 24-hour economy agenda.
The associations commended President Mahama’s commitment to transforming food systems in alignment with their shared vision of a vibrant, competitive agricultural sector. They pledged to collaborate with his administration to implement policies that would foster sectoral growth, create jobs, and improve the livelihoods of farmers and agribusinesses.
Key Policy Recommendations for Agro-Industrialization
The agribusiness stakeholders outlined several priority areas they believe are critical for driving agricultural transformation in Ghana, and they include:
- Comprehensive Agricultural Policy Framework: Develop a national vision and strategy for the agro-industry sector.
- Agricultural Research and Development: Increase investments to enhance productivity, disease resistance, and climate resilience.
- Food Price Reduction: Implement policies to lower agricultural input costs and food production expenses to benefit vulnerable populations.
- Agricultural Infrastructure Development: Invest in irrigation systems, storage facilities, and transportation networks to enhance sector efficiency.
- Promotion of Agro-Industrialization: Establish robust industries to add value to raw agricultural products for competitiveness in local and international markets.
- Support for Smallholder Farmers: Provide access to training, credit, mechanization, and other support services to boost productivity.
- Encouragement of Private Sector Investment: Create an enabling environment with incentives for investments in infrastructure and agro-processing.
- Skills Development and Training: Build capacity for farmers, agribusinesses, and extension agents to improve productivity.
The associations stressed that agriculture employs approximately 50% of Ghana’s labour force and is a significant contributor to GDP, hence, the sector’s transformation is essential to achieving national development goals.
A Call for Collaboration
The associations emphasized the importance of engagement with the new administration to ensure that the proposed policies and programs effectively address the challenges in the sector.
“We look forward to working with President Mahama’s administration to create a prosperous and sustainable agricultural and agro-industrial sector,” the statement concluded.
