Author: Sefakor

The cocoa sector remains a cornerstone of Ghana’s economy, serving as a major source of export earnings and livelihoods for millions of Ghanaians, particularly in rural communities, Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson has said. He makes the point that since the enactment of the Ghana Cocoa Board Act, 1984 (PNDCL 81), the cocoa industry has undergone significant transformation. To modernise the governance and financing of the sector, he said, the government will submit a new COCOBOD Bill to Parliament to repeal and replace the Ghana Cocoa Board Act, 1984 (PNDCL 81). Presenting the 2026 mid-year budget…

The Minister of Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, has said that the government remains committed to transforming Ghana’s oil palm industry into a major driver of industrialisation, export growth, import substitution and rural employment. He said that a key pillar of the Integrated Oil Palm Development Policy is the establishment of sustainability-compliant oil palm land banks to de-risk private sector investment and accelerate the development of large-scale plantations integrated with smallholder and outgrower schemes. Implementation of this initiative is progressing steadily, he said. Presenting the 2026 Mid-Year budget statement in Parliament on Thursday, July 23, he said…

The World Bank has said that in many countries today, the agriculture sector is not producing food efficiently or distributing it evenly. The World Bank noted that the lack of infrastructure, counterproductive policies, and financial risk continue to constrain the industry’s growth. At the same time, it said, conflict, economic shocks, and extreme weather are disrupting production and markets. The Bretton Woods Institution indicated that farming and agribusiness do more than just feed people. They power economic growth and reduce poverty, it said. The food sector supports millions of jobs on the farm and has the…

Rice farmers have urged the government to prioritise introducing measures, especially in the 2026 mid-year budget, to help them market their produce. This call was made ahead of the 2026 mid-year budget presentation by the Finance Minister on Thursday, July 23. Spokesperson for the Rice Producers and Processors Association of Ghana (RIPAG), Dr Charles Nyaaba noted that the cost of production continues to rise, with farmers paying more for fertiliser, agrochemicals, mechanisation services, labour and other essential inputs. “If the necessary attention is not given and many farmers decide not to produce this year, next year we may…

An Economist, Professor Peter Quartey is advising the government to develop pragmatic measures on agriculture and manufacturing sectors saying they are critical areas that require greater public and private investment for the country to succeed in its economic transformation through agribusiness. According to him, the sectors remain the country’s biggest sources of employment and economic transformation. Professor Quartey further said that improving irrigation infrastructure should be a national priority to achieve sustainable agricultural growth. “…manufacturing and agriculture. I think that’s where I want to see the injection. “But those are the two key areas that create the…

The World Bank has said that the global agrifood system stands at a critical inflection point where climate shocks, rising input costs, fragile supply chains, and widening inequality are placing unprecedented pressure on food production and distribution. According to the Bretton Woods Institution, Small-scale producers who produce one-third of the world’s food are especially vulnerable. In the view of the World Bank, Artificial Intelligence (AI) presents a timely and powerful tool to help reimagine agricultural transformation in ways that are more productive, sustainable, and inclusive. The World Bank made these remarks in a report, Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for Agricultural…

The African Development Bank (AfDB) points out that agriculture is a major source of income in Africa however untapped agricultural potential has contributed to persistent poverty and deteriorating food security. In the view of AfDB, this has resulted in a projected increase in the number of undernourished people from 240million in 2015 to 320million by the end of 2025. Research by the AfDB covering the period 2015 to 2025 found that falling commodity prices across a broad range of natural resources are creating an increasing imperative for African nations to diversify their exports and reduce current account deficits.…

The Dormaa Poultry Farmers and Eggs Exporters Association has pledged to comply with all necessary rules governing the export of eggs. This was after the Association welcomed the lifting of the ban on export of eggs to Burkina Faso. The Ministry of Trade and Agribusiness had announced that the ban on the export of eggs from Ghana to Burkina Faso had been lifted. Following an engagement with Burkinabe authorities, the restriction on the import of tomatoes from Burkina Faso into Ghana was also lifted, thereby boosting bilateral trade between the two countries. In a statement, the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness…

Italian Investors have paid a courtesy call on the leadership of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), as part of efforts to explore areas to expand their investment. The delegation from BF International, Italy’s largest agricultural group, was led by the Italian Ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Laura Ranalli. Briefing the management of COCOBOD, H.E. Ranalli disclosed her outfit’s readiness to spearhead new partnerships between the Italian agribusiness community and COCOBOD to promote Ghana’s cocoa. Dubbed the “Cocoa Connect Initiative,” the proposed collaboration will bring together public, private, and scientific institutions to move Ghana’s cocoa industry beyond raw bean…

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has identified sustainable agri-food system as the surest way to address global hunger issues. On Tuesday, July 21, the FAO launched the 2026 edition of The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report. The report states, among other things, that an estimated 645 million people, 7.8 percent of the global population, faced hunger in 2025. This represents nearly 14 million fewer people than in 2024 and 43 million fewer than at the 2022 peak. Food insecurity also improved substantially. In 2025, approximately 2.1 billion people experienced moderate…