President John Dramani Mahama has announced a significant expansion of Ghana’s agricultural modernisation drive with the launch of the Vegetable Development Project, a flagship initiative under the government’s Feed Ghana 2025–2028 Agricultural Transformation Agenda.
Speaking at the launch ceremony in Kukum, the President said the project would be rolled out nationwide, with particular emphasis on northern Ghana, where water scarcity continues to hinder all-year-round farming. He noted that the initiative forms part of a comprehensive national strategy to restore food security, boost agro-industrial productivity, and build a resilient, technology-driven agricultural economy.
President Mahama stated that government is intensifying the production of key commodities—rice, maize, soya beans, vegetables, cassava, poultry, and cashew—to meet growing domestic and export demand. To support this expansion, farmer service centres are being established across the country to provide mechanisation services, input supply, equipment repairs, and extension advisory support. He added that irrigation infrastructure is also being modernised and expanded to ensure consistent water availability for farmers.
The President outlined several complementary interventions, including the formation of commodity-based cooperatives to strengthen smallholder operations, targeted empowerment programmes for youth and women—such as backyard poultry production—and initiatives to enhance storage, marketing, and agro-processing capacity to reduce post-harvest losses. Improved market linkages, he said, will be facilitated through partnerships with institutional off-takers, agro-processors, the hospitality sector, and supermarket chains to guarantee stable prices and reliable incomes for farmers.
Through these combined measures, President Mahama said the government aims to lay the foundation for a 24-hour agricultural economy driven by technology, efficient markets, and continuous production cycles. He underscored the immense potential of the vegetable sub-sector, describing it as labour-intensive, fast-maturing, profitable, and essential for improved nutrition and public health.
Under the Vegetable Development Project, locally known as Yɛre Dua,the Ministry of Food and Agriculture will introduce climate-smart technologies, improved seed varieties, sustainable irrigation methods, guaranteed off-take arrangements, and expanded cold-chain and packhouse infrastructure. Capacity-building programmes will be tailored specifically to women-led agribusinesses and young entrepreneurs, while stronger linkages will be created with processing industries to promote value addition.
President Mahama praised the Haifa Region for its leadership in agricultural innovation, especially in horticulture and commercial-scale crop production. He highlighted the newly established solar-powered irrigation facilities in Kukum, noting that they will boost dry-season farming, strengthen cooperative activities, improve market supply nationwide, create jobs for young people, and raise household incomes.
He expressed gratitude to Ghanaian farmers, the Minister for Food and Agriculture, development partners, private sector stakeholders, and Farm Mate Ghana for their contributions to the nation’s agricultural transformation.
Reaffirming his administration’s dedication to building a resilient and inclusive agricultural sector, the President pledged ongoing support for infrastructure expansion, smallholder and commercial farmers, enhanced storage and market systems, and robust value addition through technology.
“With discipline, unity, and a shared sense of purpose, we will feed Ghana, we will grow Ghana, and we will transform Ghana,” he declared.
President Mahama then formally launched the Vegetable Development Project.
Story: Nyamebeye Kofi Ansah Sasraku