Accra: Mrs Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, the Minister of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, has called for the promotion of a strong and resilient agribusiness sector in the country. The Minister made the appeal in her welcome remarks at the opening of the maiden National Agribusiness Dialogue in Accra. The Dialogue, which was inaugurated by President John Dramani Mahama, was themed 'Resetting Agribusiness for Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Growth'. It aims to develop a homegrown policy crafted by those who are living the reality and understand the challenges, rather than importing solutions that may not work in Ghana's context.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mrs Ofosu-Adjare emphasized the opportunity to reset the agribusiness agenda in Ghana boldly, inclusively, and sustainably, urging stakeholders to unlock the full potential of this sector. She highlighted the Ministry's expanded mandate to include agribusiness, representing a pivotal shift in developmental approaches, calling for a comprehensive national agribusiness policy aligned with industrialisation and economic transformation agendas.
The purpose of the Forum, she stated, was to initiate a national conversation involving farmers, agripreneurs, researchers, development partners, private sector actors, and policymakers to co-create a policy framework addressing the actual needs and opportunities within the nation's agribusiness ecosystem. The theme of the Dialogue reflects the Government's goal to drive inclusive growth, empowering everyone in the agribusiness value chain, including women, smallholders, and SMEs, while promoting sustainability.
Mrs Ofosu-Adjare stressed the need for the sector to embrace innovation, invest in value addition, scale up agritech solutions, strengthen market systems, and expand finance access. She reiterated that a strong policy would provide clarity, stability, and direction for investment, partnerships, and planning. The Government's 24-Hour Plus Economy Policy was highlighted as a strategic opportunity to amplify transformation, enhancing productivity and efficiency in agro-processing, logistics, storage, and market access.
She noted the initiative's potential to expand employment opportunities across the agricultural value chain and integrate farmers, agripreneurs, and SMEs into a modern, resilient, and competitive economy. Mrs Ofosu-Adjare emphasized President John Dramani Mahama's commitment to industrialisation with inclusivity and sustainability at its core, advocating for inclusive dialogue, shared ownership, and sustained collaboration to unlock agribusiness potential in Ghana.
Mr Daniel Fahene Acquaye, the Group Chief Executive Officer of Agri Impact Limited and guest speaker at the event, assessed Ghana's agribusiness sector, highlighting its untapped potential and the need for strategic scale-up. He advocated for a shift from pilot projects to large-scale agribusiness investments, urging Ghana to rethink its strategy by drawing lessons from South Africa's agro-processing sector, which significantly contributes to GDP.
