Government validates draft national agribusiness policy to drive commercial farming

The Government has taken a major step towards resetting Ghana’s agribusiness sector with the validation of a Draft National Agribusiness and Agro-Processing Policy aimed at promoting inclusive growth, investment and commercial farming.

Speaking at the National Agribusiness Policy Validation Workshop in Accra on Friday, December 19, 2025, the Deputy Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Hon. Sampson Ahi, said the policy is intended to shift Ghana’s agricultural sector from subsistence practices to a business-driven, value-oriented agribusiness ecosystem.

He explained that the policy focuses on the commercial dimensions of farming, trade and agro-processing, stressing that agriculture must go beyond production to address value addition, market access and sustainability. Hon. Ahi urged stakeholders to fast-track the validation process, noting that while government had hoped to present the policy to Cabinet before the end of the year, efforts would be made to submit it at the first Cabinet meeting in 2026 if timelines were not met.

The Deputy Minister called on participants to contribute fully to ensure the development of a strong, coherent and results-oriented policy, emphasising collaboration among technical experts, policymakers and the private sector to deliver practical and implementable outcomes that support agribusiness-led industrialisation.

Also addressing the workshop, the Chief Executive Officer of Agri-Impact Group, Mr Daniel Acquaye, outlined the extensive stakeholder engagement process that began in July 2025, including national and regional consultations across the Ashanti, Bono, Bono East, Northern, Volta and Oti regions. He said the process brought together industry players, development partners, academia, agribusiness processors and farmer groups to ensure grassroots inputs informed the policy framework.

Mr. Acquaye highlighted key issues guiding the validation, including clarity of direction, addressing post-harvest losses, unlocking investment, promoting inclusivity and driving transformative change. He commended the Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Hon. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, and the Deputy Minister for their leadership and commitment to completing the policy within a reasonable timeframe.

In a welcome address, the Director for Agribusiness at the Ministry, Mr. Kwame Oppong-Ntim, said the Ministry found it necessary to develop a single, comprehensive policy framework to guide agribusiness and agro-processing activities nationwide. He noted that the draft policy was developed through extensive public and private sector consultations and that the validation workshop was to ensure regional and national priorities were fully reflected.

The workshop brought together stakeholders from the public and private sectors, development partners, industry associations and policy experts, and featured presentations, thematic breakout sessions and plenary discussions.