Government moves to revive cotton production in Northern Region to feed Ghana’s textile industry

The Government is stepping up efforts to revive large-scale cotton production in the Northern Region as part of measures to secure reliable local raw materials for Ghana’s textile and garment industry.

The Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Hon. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, made the commitment on Thursday, August 27, 2026, when she undertook a working visit to a large-scale cotton farm covering more than 20 hectares at Zoosale in the Savelugu Municipality of the Northern Region.

The pilot project involves local and international partners, including Benti Energies, Recell Ghana Ltd., FELOC, CAB-CI, NAT LOGISTICS, SINOHYDRO B15 and NAMS FARMS. It forms part of the Northern Cotton Revival Initiative, which seeks to establish a multi-district cotton production belt in the Northern Region and strengthen the link between cotton farmers and Ghana’s textile and garment manufacturing industry.

Led by the Municipal Chief Executive for Savelugu, Hon. Alhassan Fuseini, the Minister toured the cotton fields and observed the crops at the flowering stage.

ADVERTISEMENT

Hon. Ofosu-Adjare expressed excitement at the progress of the project, describing it as a positive indication of the potential of cotton production to contribute to Ghana’s industrialisation agenda.

She assured the managers of the farm of Government’s support to expand cotton production in the region. She said increased domestic cotton production would provide a dependable source of raw materials for textile and garment manufacturers, reduce production costs and help lower the country’s import bill.

The Minister emphasised the need to strengthen the connection between agriculture and industry by ensuring that locally produced raw materials are channelled into domestic manufacturing.

According to her, a vibrant cotton value chain could create employment, improve the livelihoods of farmers and contribute significantly to the growth and competitiveness of Ghana’s textile and garment sector.

The Traditional Chief of Zoosale, Naa Yahaya Yakubu, welcomed the Minister’s visit and appealed to Government to provide the necessary support to sustain and expand the initiative.

He said the project had the potential to create employment opportunities for the youth while promoting economic development in the area.

The Project Lead Consultant, Mr. Cephas Bedi, said the successful flowering of the cotton fields represented an important milestone towards establishing a sustainable cotton belt across the Northern Region.

He explained that the initiative was designed to connect cotton production directly to industrial processing and textile manufacturing, thereby creating a stronger farm-to-factory value chain.

The visit came a day ahead of the commissioning of Northshore Apparel Ltd. by President John Dramani Mahama on Friday, August 28, 2026.

Mr. Bedi said the timing underscored the importance of securing adequate local raw materials to support the growth and sustainability of Ghana’s emerging apparel manufacturing industry.

As part of the field inspection, the Traditional Chief of Zoosale guided the Minister and the Regional Director through the flourishing cotton fields, where a symbolic ribbon-cutting ceremony was held to mark the launch of the initiative.

The ceremony linked the successful flowering of the cotton crop to the commissioning of the apparel factory, highlighting the broader vision of building an integrated value chain in which cotton cultivated in the Northern Region can ultimately provide raw materials for textile and garment production in Ghana.