Farmers’ Day is a day set aside to honour and recognise the ardent farmers who have contributed immensely to safeguard Ghana’s food security.

“We are here to donate some of our sample fertilizers to support the Farmers’ Day programme. It is an organic fertilizer; however, it can also be used for conventional production”, the representative from ABC Oye Asase Yie explained.

Giving merit to organic fertilizer, he said that it maintains soil structure, water retention in the soil, and nutrient release for plants.

He stated that the sample fertilizers were formulated outside Ghana, but the company is far advanced in building its production plant with
a value of USD$55 million, which would contribute to employment.

He underscored the farmers’ contribution to sustaining the lives of individuals in Ghana and across.

Receiving the inputs, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Hon. Eric Opoku, commended ABC Asase Yie for its generous support for farmers’ development.

He reiterated that the 42nd Farmers’ Day would be celebrated at Sunyani in the Bono Region to reward the hardworking farmers.

He stressed that the ministry is receiving donations from corporate entities, companies, individuals, and from everywhere to support the celebration.

“We want to assure you that whatever you have given us today will be given to the Ghanaian farmers, and eventually it will lead to increased production for the benefit of the Ghanaian people, ” the Minister added.

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Read it closely, as every farmer, licensed buying company, hauler, grinder and chocolatier should, and you will find a Bill that diagnoses the sector’s ailments with unusual honesty. My worry, having spent years advising along this value chain, is not the diagnosis. It is that a handful of clauses prescribe a cure that could quietly hand the patient’s welfare to the Treasury, thin the farmer’s voice to a whisper, and leave the most vulnerable actors, smallholders and craft processors outside the clinic door. Below, I set out what the Bill gets right, what it gets wrong, and how to fix the latter before it becomes law.

What the Bill gets right
A statutory price floor for farmers (Clause 57). For the first time, the law would guarantee that the producer price for a crop season “shall not be less than 70% of the Gross Free on Board price” (Clause 57(3)). This is a genuine victory for cocoa households and a fitting statutory home for the ambition behind the Living Income Differential. Coupled with a legal basis for the long-informal Producer Price Review Committee, it drags pricing out of the shadows of administrative discretion and into daylight.

A firewall against the misuse of COCOBOD as a national piggy-bank (Clause 4). Much of the Board’s ruinous debt was accumulated financing things that had little to do with a cocoa pod: roads, bridges and assorted “interventions”. Clause 4 now forbids the Board from engaging in “social, quasi-fiscal, welfare or community intervention programmes” unless they are directly linked to the sustainability, productivity or integrity of the sector, and voids any expenditure that breaches this, with personal surcharge liability for those responsible. This is precisely the fiscal discipline the sector has needed for a generation.

Grown-up rules for hedging and an end to casino finance (Clauses 28, 36–39). The Bill bans speculative investment outright (Clause 28) and wraps hedging in documented risk assessments, value-for-money analysis, independent audit, and mandatory reporting to the Minister, Parliament and the Auditor-General (Clauses 36–37). Significantly, officers who occasion a loss through breach are made “jointly and severally liable to surcharge and recovery” (Clause 37). After the forward-selling misadventures of recent years, this is the right lesson learned.

Ring-fencing the legacy debt (Clauses 46–49, 56). Separating the historic debt into a Sinking Fund and a ring-fenced resolution framework means each season’s purchases need no longer be strangled by yesterday’s borrowing. Done transparently, this is how you make the Board bankable again.

A pension and an education trust for farming families (Clauses 40–45). A contributory Cocoa Farmers Pension Scheme and an Educational Trust for farmers’ children address the quiet scandal of a workforce that enriches the nation yet retires into penury. These are among the most humane provisions in the Bill.

Traceability built for the EU era (Clauses 84–90). The Cocoa Management System and farm-to-port Traceability System, anchored in the Data Protection Act, are not bureaucratic luxuries; they are the passport to the EU market under the Deforestation Regulation. Ghana cannot sell what it cannot trace.

A buffer against galamsey (Clause 83) and a line against child labour (Clause 91). Protecting cocoa farms from extractive activity within 500 metres, and prohibiting child, forced and hazardous labour, codify commitments the sector’s reputation depends on.
Credit where it is due. This is a serious, modernising Bill. But good intentions poorly drafted become bad law.

Where it needs fixing and how

1. Do not let the Treasury capture the cocoa purse (Clauses 5, 7, 33)
   The Bill returns oversight of COCOBOD to the Ministry of Finance and threads the Finance Minister through almost every consequential decision: nominating the chairperson, two farmer members and two “experienced” members of the Board (Clause 7), approving hedging policy, borrowing, subsidiaries and tax exemptions, and deciding how much “excess” is swept to the Consolidated Fund (Clause 33). It is a Bill sponsored by the Finance Minister that concentrates power in the Finance Minister. The danger is that when fiscal targets collide with farmer welfare, the farmer loses.

My recommendation is to insulate operational and pricing decisions from short-term fiscal pressure. Appoint the CEO and chairperson through a transparent, competitive process rather than sole ministerial nomination (Clause 7); and in Clause 33, make it explicit that no surplus may be swept to the Consolidated Fund until the Stabilisation and Diversification Fund and statutory reserves are fully funded. The Consolidated Fund must never again be allowed to raid the farmer’s rainy-day money.

2. Give farmers a real seat, not a token one (Clause 7)
   Farmers grow one hundred per cent of the crop and hold roughly one-sixth of the boardroom, just two “award-winning” members, hand-picked by the Minister, against four government representatives, the CEO, two staff and two further ministerial appointees. “Award-winning” is a vague and gameable criterion, and ministerial selection makes these seats an extension of government rather than a voice for cocoa farmers.

My recommendation is to increase farmer representation to at least three or four members, nominated or elected by recognised, audited farmer-based organisations rather than the Minister, with published selection criteria. Retain, and indeed strengthen the welcome requirement that at least two members be women (Clause 7(2)), and add a youth seat. A board that the farmers themselves helped choose is a board they will trust.

3. Close the “70% of gross” loophole before it opens (Clauses 52, 57)
   The price floor is 70% of the Gross FOB price, yet the Bill separately defines a Net FOB price as gross minus industry costs, statutory deductions and “stabilisation charges” (interpretation clause), and it lets the Minister set the stabilisation levy as an open-ended “percentage… as determined by the Minister” (Clause 52). If that levy and other deductions are set aggressively, the headline 70% can be hollowed out in practice.

I recommend capping total deductions in the Act, or set the stabilisation levy within a statutory band subject to parliamentary approval (Clause 52); require that the pricing formula’s variables and weights be published each season (the Bill already defines the formula as including them); and anchor the floor to a rolling multi-season average of realised FOB so that a single bad hedging year cannot drag the guaranteed price down (Clause 57).

4. Protect farmer services from the anti-sprawl clause (Clauses 4, 5)
   Clause 4’s discipline is right, but its language is broad, and Clause 5 lets the Minister order the Board to “discontinue or restructure” any activity s/he deems inconsistent with its object. In the wrong hands, extension services, mass spraying, disease control and replanting could be recast as “welfare” and cut.

I recommend adding an explicit proviso to Clause 4 that agronomic extension, pest and disease control (notably swollen shoot control and rehabilitation), seedling and input support, and farmer pension and education schemes are deemed core functions directly linked to productivity and integrity and are therefore protected from the Clause 5 power.

5. Make the galamsey buffer bite (Clause 83)
   As drafted, the 500-metre no-mining buffer is triggered only where an extractive activity “affects a water body specified under section 17” of the Minerals and Mining Act. That qualifier is a loophole; a pit 400 metres from a cocoa farm that does not happen to touch a gazetted water body may escape.

Here, I propose we make the 500-metre buffer around a protected farm absolute, not contingent on affecting a water body; extend it to reconnaissance and prospecting; require the Minerals Commission to refuse or relocate any licence encroaching on a protected farm; and mandate land-restoration bonds. A buffer with an escape hatch is not a buffer.

6. Do not lock smallholders and craft processors out of the market (Clauses 60, 85, 106–107)
   Two provisions risk excluding the very people the Bill claims to serve. Clause 85 would prohibit the production, purchase or sale of cocoa by any farm not yet registered on the Cocoa Management System, a fair long-term goal, but a cliff-edge for remote, elderly or newly planting farmers on the wrong side of the digital divide. And the fit-and-proper capital tests (Clause 60) plus the requirement that processors buy through the Board (Clause 107) could shut out the small chocolatiers the memorandum itself says it wants to help.

I prose in Clause 85, we provide a defined grace period with free, assisted, offline-capable registration before any prohibition bites, and treat traceability service fees (Clause 88) as a cost to the Board, never a levy on the farmer. In Clauses 60 and 106, create a tiered “artisanal/craft processor” licence with proportionate capital requirements and a guaranteed bean allocation at LID-inclusive prices, so value addition is not the preserve of large firms alone.

7. Make the in-house justice system visibly independent (Clauses 96–105)
   The Dispute Resolution Committee and the Cocoa Board Tribunal will often adjudicate disputes in which the Board itself is a party, yet the Board appoints them and their registrar. No one should be a judge in their own cause.

I propose requiring majority-external membership of the Dispute Resolution Committee, ring-fence its budget, and guarantee farmers and small operators access to legal support. The existing right of appeal to the High Court (Clause 105) is welcome and should be preserved.

8. Put the real rules in the Act, not in future regulations
   Too much that matters- the stabilisation percentage, local-processing threshold, fees, hedging thresholds and details of the pricing formula is left to Regulations and ministerial discretion. Parliament should legislate the guardrails, not merely bless them later.

I recommend fixing key parameters (a deductions cap, a stabilisation-levy band, a minimum local-processing floor, and a statutory maximum period for paying farmers, with penalty interest for late payment) in the Act itself; require every Regulation to be laid before Parliament; and add a mandatory five-year review of the entire framework.

The bottom line
The Ghana Cocoa Board Bill, 2026 is the most consequential cocoa legislation in four decades, and on balance it deserves to pass. It ends the era of COCOBOD as an off-budget spending vehicle, gives farmers a statutory price floor and a pension, brings hedging under adult supervision, and builds the traceability spine the export market now demands. These are real improvements, and the drafters should be commended. But a law is only as good as the incentives it locks in. If the president assents to it unamended, it risks trading one imbalance for another, swapping fiscal indiscipline for fiscal capture, and a bloated mandate for a boardroom in which the people who grow the beans can barely be heard. The fixes I have set out are neither radical nor expensive. They are the difference between a Bill that modernises the cocoa sector and one that merely refinances it.

Cocoa is not just Ghana’s crop; it is Ghana’s story. We should make certain the next chapter is written with the farmer in the room, and not merely on the letterhead.

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Funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB), the programme targets youth aged 18 to 35 operating enterprises within the agroforestry, fisheries, aquaculture and biodiversity value chains.

In Ghana, the initiative will focus on entrepreneurs in Greater Accra, Eastern, Ashanti, Bono, Western and Central Region.

Priority will be given to young women (60 per cent), persons with disabilities (10 per cent) and other youth (30 per cent) to promote inclusive economic growth.

Successful applicants will receive entrepreneurship training, tailored business development support and mentorship, while also benefiting from opportunities to strengthen their access to markets and finance.

The initiative is expected to stimulate job creation, improve livelihoods and support Africa’s transition to a greener and more resilient economy.

Applications are open until September 18, 2026. Eligible entrepreneurs are encouraged to submit their applications through the official MicroGREEN Programme website – www.microgreen.africa.

Submitted applications will be assessed through a transparent and competitive selection process.

Participation in the programme is free of charge, and applicants are not required to make any payment at any stage.

Commenting on the launch of the call for applications, Carol Annang, Country Director of Invest in Africa Ghana, described the programme as a timely investment into Ghana’s green economy.

She said, “Across the country, entrepreneurs are developing innovative solutions to climate change, food security, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable livelihoods.”

She added: “We encourage all eligible entrepreneurs particularly youth, women, PWDS to seize this opportunity to transform bold ideas into thriving green enterprises that will help build a more sustainable, inclusive, and prosperous Ghana.”

About the MicroGREEN Programme

The MicroGREEN Programme is financed through the African Development Bank’s Fund for African Private Sector Assistance (FAPA) and the Youth Entrepreneurship and Innovation Multi-Donor Trust Fund (YEI-MDTF).

About Invest In Africa

Invest in Africa is a non-profit organisation that supports micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) by improving access to markets, finance and business development services to enhance their competitiveness and growth.

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Speaking during a courtesy call by Ghanaian graduates of the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), sponsored by the African Agribusiness Consortium (AAC) and the Jospong Group of Companies, at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, the Minister, Hon. Eric Opoku said the graduates’ expertise would play an important role in implementing the government’s Feed Ghana Agenda.

Addressing the gathering, which included officials of the Ministry, the African Agribusiness Consortium, the Jospong Group of Companies and members of the media, the Minister congratulated the graduates on successfully completing their studies and urged them to apply the knowledge and skills acquired abroad to transform Ghana’s agricultural sector.

“The successful completion of your studies is a remarkable achievement, and your return home marks the beginning of an important chapter not only in your individual careers but also in Ghana’s agricultural transformation,” the Minister said.

He noted that Ghana requires highly skilled and innovative professionals capable of applying modern agricultural science, technology and management practices to increase productivity, strengthen food systems and enhance value addition across the agricultural value chain.

The Minister reiterated that agriculture remains central to the government’s economic transformation agenda, with the Feed Ghana Agenda aimed at boosting food production, strengthening food security, creating sustainable jobs, promoting agribusiness development and reducing the country’s dependence on food imports.

He observed that Ghana possesses abundant arable land, favourable climatic conditions and enormous agricultural potential, adding that unlocking these opportunities would require skilled human resources, investment, innovation and strong partnerships.

To support the graduates’ transition into the agricultural sector, the Minister assured them that the Ministry would collaborate closely with the African Agribusiness Consortium, the Jospong Group of Companies and other stakeholders to facilitate practical opportunities for them.

He explained that, within existing government policies and programmes, the Ministry would continue to support access to agricultural opportunities, including land development initiatives, irrigation support and strategic partnerships to enable the graduates to contribute meaningfully to the implementation of the Feed Ghana Agenda.

“Our objective is simple: to ensure that the expertise you have acquired translates into increased agricultural productivity, enhanced food security, job creation and national economic growth,” he stated.

The Minister also commended the African Agribusiness Consortium and the Jospong Group of Companies for investing in Ghana’s human capital through the sponsorship of specialised agricultural education abroad.

He described the initiative as a demonstration of visionary leadership and a long-term commitment to developing the next generation of agricultural professionals capable of transforming Ghana’s food systems.

According to him, the collaboration between the private sector and agricultural development represents the type of partnership needed to accelerate sustainable growth in the country.

He therefore encouraged other private sector institutions, agribusinesses, development partners and industry players to emulate the initiative by investing in the development of young people.

Addressing the graduates directly, the Minister urged them to embrace innovation, remain committed to continuous learning and dedicate their expertise to addressing the practical challenges confronting farmers and agribusinesses across the country.

He said the future of agriculture belongs to young professionals who are innovative, technologically driven and entrepreneurial, adding that their success would inspire more young Ghanaians to pursue careers in agriculture.

The Minister assured the graduates that the Ministry’s doors remain open and expressed the government’s readiness to work with them in building a modern, productive and competitive agricultural sector.

He concluded by calling for collective efforts to build a resilient agricultural sector capable of feeding the nation, creating prosperity and securing a brighter future for generations to come.

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The farmers, selected from the Berekum West District, Berekum Municipality and Dormaa Municipality, were trained in seed selection, planting seasons, land preparation, nursery management, and the safe and efficient use of agrochemicals, including fertilisers and fungicides.

The capacity-building programme forms part of efforts to improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers through the adoption of improved vegetable varieties, higher productivity and sustainable production practices.

The training was organised under the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) initiative, launched by the African Development Bank (AfDB) in 2018 to accelerate agricultural growth, enhance food security and promote inclusive economic development across Africa.

In Ghana, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research–Crops Research Institute (CSIR-CRI) is implementing the TAAT II Vegetable Compact Project, which is promoting improved technologies and modern production practices to make the country’s vegetable sector more competitive and sustainable.

Addressing a durbar of farmers at Jinijini in the Berekum West District, the Principal Research Scientist and Vegetable Breeder at CSIR-CRI, Dr Michael Kwabena Osei, said low productivity remained one of the biggest challenges facing Ghana’s vegetable industry.

He noted that tomato farmers using local seed varieties currently harvest between 7.5 and 10 tonnes per hectare, whereas improved varieties can produce up to 20 tonnes per hectare when combined with good agronomic practices.

According to him, the persistent yield gap is largely driven by the use of inappropriate seed varieties and poor farming practices, with limited technical knowledge continuing to undermine efforts to increase vegetable production.

“Lack of relevant knowledge makes farming unattractive and unproductive,” Dr Osei said.

He also expressed concern about the excessive and often inappropriate use of agrochemicals, stressing the need for continuous farmer education on the correct application of fertilisers, fungicides and other crop protection products.

“We need to keep educating farmers on the appropriate use of these chemicals, including when and how to apply them, as well as the recommended waiting period before harvesting produce after chemical application,” he said.

A Research Associate with the World Vegetable Center, Dr Alhassan Zaato, highlighted the nutritional importance of vegetables, describing them as rich sources of essential vitamins and minerals that boost energy levels, strengthen immunity and promote overall well-being.

He urged intensified public education to encourage regular vegetable consumption as part of a balanced diet while supporting increased demand for locally produced vegetables.

Speaking on behalf of the participants, 50-year-old farmer Dominic Oti Yeboah appealed to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to improve farmers’ access to high-yielding and disease-resistant tomato varieties, particularly the ‘Kwabena Kwabena’ variety.

He said making improved seeds readily available would significantly increase tomato production, raise farm incomes, improve livelihoods and contribute to Ghana’s food security.

The TAAT II Vegetable Compact Project is expected to accelerate the adoption of improved production technologies among smallholder farmers, helping to close the country’s vegetable yield gap, improve the supply of quality vegetables to the market and enhance the resilience and profitability of Ghana’s agribusiness sector.

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The $15 million integrated poultry and feed processing complex, expected to be completed next year, is projected to cut Ghana’s poultry imports by more than half while strengthening the local industry.

In an interview with The Ghanaian Times in Accra yesterday, Mr Opoku said the project, being implemented under the Feed Ghana Programme, would establish a sustainable poultry value chain, empower farmers and significantly reduce the country’s poultry import bill.

He noted that Ghana currently imports about $350 million worth of poultry and poultry products annually, describing the Bechem facility as a strategic intervention to reverse the trend, create jobs and enhance national food security.

Mr Opoku, who is also the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Asunafo South, said the government remained on course to make Ghana self-sufficient in poultry production by 2029.

He added that the project would generate thousands of direct and indirect jobs under the Poultry Industry Revitalisation Initiative, which is expected to create about 10,000 jobs.

The minister explained that the facility would include a feed processing plant to produce affordable, high-quality feed; a meat processing unit to meet domestic and export standards; a hatchery; cold storage facilities; a fertiliser manufacturing unit; a training academy for young farmers; and dormitories.

When fully operational, the two-line production system is expected to process 3,000 birds per hour on each line.

Mr Opoku explained that one line would be dedicated to processing layers, while the other would handle broilers.

He added that the hatchery, which is also under construction, would support the poultry revitalisation programme by producing day-old chicks for distribution to farmers.

The feed processing component, he said, was designed to reduce the cost of feed, which remains the largest expense in poultry production.

Mr Opoku further explained that every component of the value chain would be utilised, noting that farmers could sell eggshells to the company for use in feed production.

He said eggshells provided calcium, which would complement other feed ingredients such as maize for energy and soya for protein, particularly for layers.

The minister disclosed that the ministry had reached an agreement with a private soybean processing firm to establish a processing plant in Tamale.

He explained that the strategy was to ensure a steady supply of inputs for the poultry facility, while also creating a guaranteed market for outgrowers.

Under the arrangement, he said, the soybean factory would purchase produce from farmers, process it and supply it to the feed plant, which would then produce feed for poultry farmers.

Mr Opoku said this integrated system would ensure the steady availability of affordable feed, boost poultry production and ultimately help eliminate poultry imports in line with the 2029 target.

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He is warning that the proposed law could have serious consequences for Ghana’s cocoa industry if stakeholders are not properly consulted.

Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express on Tuesday, the Ofoase Ayirebi MP said the Minority opposed the attempt to fast-track consideration of the bill because of its far-reaching impact on cocoa farmers and the wider economy.

According to him, cocoa remains one of Ghana’s most important industries and any major policy change must be subjected to extensive engagement before it becomes law.

He argued that previous decisions on cocoa pricing had already affected cocoa-growing communities, making it even more important for Parliament to proceed cautiously.

“Look at the last time they took a decision at Cabinet to cut cocoa prices by about 30%. It’s impacted a lot of cocoa-growing areas across the country. You don’t take major decisions like this in a rush,” he said.

Mr Oppong Nkrumah expressed concern about the pricing formula proposed under the bill. He argued that the new arrangement would work against the interests of cocoa farmers.

“The formula they want to use now for cocoa pricing, we think, is inimical to the interest of the cocoa industry,” he stated.

He explained that although the proposal initially referred to paying farmers 70 per cent of Free on Board (FOB) prices, a different mechanism is now being discussed, raising further concerns.

“They want to say that they are going to pay 70 per cent. Well, initially they said FOB prices. Now they are coming up with some other mechanism for it,” he noted.

Mr Oppong Nkrumah warned that the proposed system could undermine the minimum guaranteed farm-gate price, which he described as a key incentive for cocoa production.

“It will put a lot of our cocoa farmers at a disadvantage because what it will do is that it will not be able to do what we have done from times past, provide what we call the minimum guarantee farm gate price, which is what now encourages people to go into cocoa farming for the year because they know that for this year this is the price that is being guaranteed.”

He added that a fluctuating pricing system would not suit the structure of Ghana’s cocoa sector.

“It’s going to be undulating, which we think is not helpful for the peculiar type of industry that we have,” he said.

The former Information Minister insisted that Parliament should suspend efforts to pass the legislation quickly and instead allow broader consultations with key stakeholders.

“So we’ve asked that they don’t rush it through. Let’s have an opportunity to engage. Let’s bring cocoa farmers in. Let’s hear from them. Let’s have their input into the law that you want us to pass.”

He stressed that discussions on the bill were still ongoing and indicated that the Minority would continue to make further submissions before Parliament takes a final decision.

“So again, on that one, it’s not a done deal yet. We will be making a lot more submissions on it.”

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Some regions have been more impacted by the weather than others. In Ghana’s Western and Western North regions, which produce more than half of the country’s annual output, persistent rains have left trees with fewer pods than in previous seasons, farmers said.

In the Central and Eastern regions, where pods are still developing from flowers, farmers said pod counts remained strong.

Kwame Alex, one of Ghana’s largest growers, said heavy rain had left farms in the Western and Western North regions in poor condition. He expected his harvest to drop from 35 bags to 10 bags in the next season.

“I did everything required to maintain the farm, but the weather worked against us,” Alex said.

An official at one of Ghana’s licensed buying companies said on condition of anonymity that a significant decline was likely. The Concerned Farmers Association, which advocates for the welfare of farmers, also said a drop was expected.

Farmers all report heavier rains than usual linked to a strengthening El Nino weather pattern. The wet conditions fuel black pod disease, a fungal infection that can sharply reduce yields.

Pod counters in Ivory Coast also expect output to fall by more than 10% in the 2026/27 season.

Similar weather conditions in Ghana and Ivory Coast during the 2023/24 El Niño contributed to a tripling of global cocoa prices.

FARMLAND CLEARED FOR MINING, RUBBER

Harvests are also falling because farmland is being cleared to make way for mining and rubber plantations, permanently removing trees from production.

Nana Oboadie Boateng Bonsu, president of the Concerned Farmers Association, said illegal clearing continues because punishments are too light.

COCOBOD, the regulator, is pushing for new legislation to protect farmers, including stricter punishment for clearing farms, a requirement to replant three acres for every acre destroyed and higher compensation for impacted farmers.

The post Inclement weather and farmland destruction to hit Ghana cocoa yields next season appeared first on AgricToday.

The agreement provides for the immediate commencement of the project, which would be situated between the Ashanti and Ahafo regions.

The project which will cost $10 million will initially operate as a blending plant using imported raw materials before transitioning into a full processing plant within one to two years’ time period.

“We are looking at how we can gradually transition from the use of inorganic or synthetic fertiliser to organic fertiliser. “We are concerned about the health of the soil; we want to protect the soil health for future production, and we are also concerned about the safety of the food that we put on the market for the Ghanaian people to consume,” Hon. Eric Opoku, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, said during the signing ceremony.

Minister explained that the project formed part of the Government’s agricultural transformation agenda to protect soil health and improve food safety.

He underscored the products haven undergone technical testing by the Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Directorate (PPRSD) and been certified for use in Ghana after demonstrating its potential to increasing food production.

From the reports of the farmers who tested the sampled products, he said they given positive results, providing the Ministry with both technical and practical evidence of its effectiveness.

He mentioned that the project would create additional income opportunities for farmers because agricultural waste materials, including maize husks and other crop residues would be purchased as raw materials for fertiliser plant.

He stressed that the government is poised of assisting farmers and the private sectors to thrive. “Ghana’s agriculture is mainly private led, and it’s the mandate of the government to provide the conducive atmosphere for them to thrive”.

Minister urged the Omanbapa AgriTech Limited and its partners to commence activities immediately to enhance quick delivery of the products to the farmers to facilitate organic production over inorganic production.

The Chief Executive Officer of Omanbapa Group, Mr Bernard Oduro Takyi, said the project would be implemented in three phases comprising the procurement of inputs, blending operations and full-scale manufacturing.

He reiterated that the company has planned to invest about US$10 million in the project.

According to him, the initial blending phase is expected to produce between 20,000 and 30,000 metric tonnes of fertiliser annually, while full-scale production could reach about 60,000 metric tonnes.

He said local production would make organic fertiliser relatively cheaper than imported alternatives and create employment opportunities for Ghanaians.

Mr Takyi added that the use of organic inputs would also support efforts to reduce agricultural waste, lower carbon emissions and improve the competitiveness of Ghanaian agricultural exports, particularly cocoa.

Under the agreement, the two parties are expected to establish a technical committee to determine the exact location of the plant and oversee implementation of the project.

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Addressing the media on the theme: Resetting Ghana’s Fisheries Sector for Sustainability, Jobs and Blue Economy Growth, the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Hon. Emelia Arthur, explained that the engagement aimed to account to the public on the activities of the ministry at the advent of this government.

“It is my duty and privilege to account to the people of Ghana for the work we have undertaken since January 2025, the reforms we have initiated, the challenges we have confronted and the direction in which we are taking the fisheries and aquaculture sector,” she said.

She underscored the ministry’s responsibility for managing the nation’s resources that belong to the people of Ghana. She stressed that the government’s duty is to protect resources responsibly and ensure they continue to sustain livelihoods and nourish generations yet to come.

In response to the challenges faced by the sector, the government is poised to implement five transformational reforms to reset the fisheries sector by restoring sustainability, creating jobs, expanding aquaculture, promoting transparency, and positioning fisheries as a central pillar of Ghana’s Blue Economy.

The Five Transformational Reforms Agenda are:
RESTORING GOOD GOVERNANCE
Every transformational reform requires good governance. The foundation of every successful sector is good governance with the right laws, strong institutions, transparency and accountability.

According to the Minister, the remarkable achievement of this government is the passage of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, 2025 (Act 1146) that replaces the Fisheries Act of 2002.

The new Act seeks to strengthen the Fisheries Commission, establishes a dedicated Fisheries Enforcement Unit, creates a Fisheries and Aquaculture Development Fund, provide for aquaculture development zones, strengthen measures against Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, and most importantly, extend the Inshore Exclusion Zone to twelve nautical miles to provide stronger protection for small-scale fishers and critical breeding grounds.

Transparency is critical in good governance. She expressed that to ensure good governance, the ministry has inaugurated Ghana’s Fisheries Transparency Initiative National Multi-Stakeholder Group, and continued to strengthen Ghana’s international commitments, including the implementation of the World Trade Organization Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies.

This, she mentioned, would promote openness, accountability and inclusive decision-making, eliminating harmful fishing practices, promoting responsible fisheries management and contributing to global efforts to protect marine resources.

RESTORING FISHING RESOURCES
To restore the fishing resources, she opined that one of the most historic achievements of this administration has been the establishment of Ghana’s first Marine Protected Area.

Following Cabinet approval, she mentioned that the Government has officially declared the Greater Cape Three Points Marine Protected Area. The protected marine area will help restore fish stocks, protect biodiversity, strengthen climate resilience, and secure the ecological foundation upon which coastal livelihoods depend.

She, however, expressed concern about illegal mining activities along the Cape Three Points forest area, where polluted water is flowing into the marine environment around that important ecosystem.

RESTORING TRUST THROUGH BETTER SERVICE DELIVERY
Restoring trust in Ghanaians through better service delivery, one of the service delivery areas that has been responsibly managed in the fishing communities is with reference to premix fuel distribution challenges.

The shortages, delays, and the price hikes of the premix fuel are now a thing of the past for the smallholder fishers in the fishing communities, bringing restoration and confidence in the government.

For many smallholder fishers, the premix fuel is not just an operational input but a tool for sustainable livelihood and economic development.

Digitalization is key to every sector’s development and reformation; the Fisheries Ministry has digitized Ghana’s premix fuel distribution system to improve transparency and reduce opportunities for manipulation.

According to the Minister, out of 157 planned automation sites, 138 have been completed and equipped, with 74 already operational, including 24 commissioned during the first half of this year.

The National Premix Fuel Secretariat’s Premix Tracker and Dashboard now provide greater visibility across the supply chain, enabling improved monitoring, accountability and decision-making.

TRANSFORMING FISH PRODUCTION
The fourth reform to reset the fisheries sector is transforming fish production. Over the decades, Ghana’s fisheries conversation has focused primarily on managing declining wild fish stocks, but the reality is that Ghana cannot conserve its way to food security.

According to statistics, Minister stressed, Ghana consumes approximately 1.2 million metric tons, yet domestic production remains a little above 700,000 tons, creating an import gap.

To close the gap, aquaculture cannot remain a secondary activity. The vision of the ministry is to build an aquaculture industry that is commercially viable, environmentally sustainable, and capable of supplying both domestic and export markets.

To achieve this, the government has launched the Komfueku– Aquaculture Project, which is transforming abandoned clay and quarry pits into productive commercial fish farms through partnerships with the private sector.

This initiative will create jobs. Increase fish production. Provide technical support. Improve market access and create sustainable income opportunities for surrounding communities.

Moreover, historically, the government has introduced offshore mariculture, and a provisional license has been issued for commercial offshore marine aquaculture.

This chapter where we responsibly harness Ghana’s marine resources while reducing pressure on wild fish stocks.

BUILDING GHANA’S BLUE ECONOMY
Blue Economy is the sustainable use of ocean, sea, and coastal resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and marine ecosystem health.

To manage the ocean, sea, and coastal resources wisely enough to create wealth that benefits all Ghanaians, the government has completed the development of Ghana’s Blue Economy Strategy and has prepared a comprehensive Blue Economy Policy framework to guide its implementation. A bill is being prepared to cabinet for a law governing Ghana’s blue economy.

These frameworks would provide a roadmap for transforming Ghana’s marine and inland water resources into engines of inclusive economic growth, climate resilience and sustainable livelihoods.

ACHIEVEMENTS/ SUCCESS SO FAR
Although the government is less than two years in office, massive transformations have been made, creating opportunities for Ghanaians. Some of the achievements are;
• The passage of a landmark Fisheries and Aquaculture Act.
• The establishment of Ghana’s first Marine Protected Area.
• Improving premix fuel supply and introducing stronger accountability systems.
• Expanded aquaculture development.
• Opening new opportunities through offshore mariculture.
• Advancing Ghana’s Blue Economy agenda.
• Strengthened partnerships for investment, knowledge and innovation.
• Replacing outdated systems with modern governance and many more.

The Minister commended the media for continuing cooperation to inform Ghanaians, amplify the voices of our fishing communities and hold public institutions accountable.

She concluded that these achievements are just a stepping stone to the sector’s greatness.

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