Ghana to rebrand Agriculture Ministry to focus on agribusiness, value addition

GHANA – Ghana’s incoming government has announced plans to rename the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to the Ministry of Food and Agribusiness. 

The rebranding, championed by President-elect John Mahama, is aimed at redirecting the ministry’s focus toward agribusiness, value addition, and technology-driven growth in agriculture.

Speaking on Global South World, Mahama emphasized the need to expand Ghana’s agricultural sector by leveraging agribusiness to address persistent challenges such as food insecurity and underutilized potential in agro-processing.

Shift toward value addition

“We have not exploited our potential in agribusiness,” Mahama said. He criticized the current system of merely subsidizing fertilizers and leaving farmers to manage the rest of the value chain on their own. 

To tackle this, the government plans to foster the establishment of agro-processing factories to address surplus production and reduce post-harvest losses.

“People will be encouraged to set up factories to buy the excess cassava that we have. Produce cassava starch, cassava flour—that’s an area we are going to look at,” he explained.

Transforming the agricultural value chain

The policy aims to create opportunities for processing raw agricultural products domestically, reducing reliance on exports of unprocessed goods such as cashews. 

Mahama highlighted the inefficiencies of exporting raw cashews, which are often processed in India before being shipped to markets in Europe and the United States.

“We can short-circuit that process and create a direct value chain between Ghana and the markets outside,” he said. 

This shift is expected to improve the branding of Ghanaian products, boost export revenues, and create jobs in rural communities.

Supporting agripreneurs

The government also plans to support young entrepreneurs in agriculture by encouraging investment in agribusiness operations. 

This includes promoting the use of technology to enhance productivity and encouraging the establishment of processing facilities to ensure surplus production is utilized effectively.

Agribusiness, Mahama argued, holds the potential to drive economic growth in Ghana, tackle food insecurity, and promote rural development. 

By focusing on value addition and commerce, the renamed Ministry of Food and Agribusiness aims to reposition the sector as a cornerstone of Ghana’s economic transformation.