The government of Ghana and the International Fertilizer Development Centre (IFDC) have signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at enhancing the productivity of farmers and increasing their income.
This agreement encompasses various areas of cooperation, including strengthening the fertilizer value chain, managing soil health and fertility, capacity building, and addressing climate change risks.
Under the MoU, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) will facilitate the implementation of IFDC's activities by creating a collaborative framework.
This framework will align national fertilizer quality control regulations and fertilizer subsidy mechanisms with harmonized sub-regional guidelines.
Dr. Oumou Camara, IFDC Vice President of Programs, signed the agreement on behalf of IFDC, while Mr. Robert Patrick Ankobiah, Chief Director of MoFA, represented the government during a brief ceremony in Accra.
Mr. Ankobiah stated that MoFA would provide agricultural information and data to IFDC and participate in the analysis and production of technical reports and scientific articles.
The Ministry would also share its national-level priorities and needs with IFDC for consideration in the development of new projects and funding requests.
MoFA will further offer human resources and expertise to support studies and consultations, identify themes for in-depth master's and doctoral studies in the soil-water-plant nexus, and support the validation and scaling up of innovations developed by IFDC and other partners.
Dr. Camara emphasized that IFDC was committed to promoting relevant agricultural technologies, soil fertility management, crop productivity, commodity value chains, market information systems, and supportive policies in both the public and private sectors of the agriculture industry.
She added, “We use strong partnerships to provide solutions and make our expertise available to advance the agriculture value chain.”
Ghana's agriculture sector holds significant potential, and unlocking this potential will have a substantial impact on the country's economy and the well-being of its people.
IFDC has implemented several key projects and programs in Ghana, including the “Toward Sustainable Clusters in Agribusiness through Learning in Entrepreneurship (2SCALE)” program, which incubates and accelerates inclusive business through partnerships with companies.
Additionally, IFDC is involved in the AfricaFertilizer initiative, a premier source for fertilizer statistics and information in Africa.
