Author: Sefakor

Dr. Ransford Abbey, Chief Executive of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), has entered into high-level talks with major Japanese chocolate producers during the ongoing expo in Japan. These discussions are part of Ghana’s push to deepen its export relationships and address long-standing issues in the cocoa sector. Dr. Abbey reiterated Ghana’s firm commitment to supplying cocoa beans steadily to Japan, which currently sources nearly 70% of its cocoa imports from Ghana. He also presented the key challenges COCOBOD is working to resolve, including the ongoing threat of the Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus Disease (CSSVD) and the detrimental effects of illegal…

Legacy Crop Improvement Centre (LCIC) has won the 2025 Global Award for Climate Resilience Champion in Hyderabad, India. This award recognizes LCIC’s commitment in developing climate-resilient seed systems that strengthen national food security. This recognition was awarded to Dr. Amos Rutherford Azinu, the founder and chief executive of Legacy Crop Improvement Centre( LCIC) by the Secretary General of the African Seed Trade Association (AFSTA), Dr. Diallo Yacouba. Dr. Amos Azinu in a statement said that the recognition confirms LCIC’s profound commitment to helping solve climate problems and challenges. “ This recognition highlights LCIC’s outstanding commitment to developing climate resilient agriculture…

Government has launched a registration portal for the Coconut Seedling Distribution Initiative, a project aimed at boosting Ghana’s coconut production and export sector. Outdooring the portal at a press conference in Accra, the Director of Presidential Initiatives in Agriculture and Agribusiness, Dr. Peter Otokunor Boamah disclosed that this program forms part of the government’s efforts to diversify Ghana’s export sector and tap into the global coconut industry, valued at over $22 billion. According to him, three million elite coconut seedlings will be shared to farmers across the country, with the goal of expanding coconut farmland from 90,000 hectares to 120,000…

Five years after transitioning as the host of a weekly TV program to become a self-made celebrated agricultural journalist, Gifty Hodey Manye’s feat in the industry transcends beyond Ghana. The 37-year-old’s footprint will be registered once again in West Africa’s Dakar, Senegal as the moderator for the African Food Systems Forum starting September 1, 2025. “I’m thrilled to moderate a youth-led session at the Africa Food Systems Forum (AFS) in Dakar, Senegal, inside the Youth Dome on the 3rd September 2025. The session’s theme, “Youth, Culture, and Agriculture,” aligns perfectly with my advocacy for youth in agriculture,” she wrote. With…

From August 2025, producer price of cocoa will be increased significantly, says President John Dramani Mahama as he calls on the youth to invest in its production. While making remarks during a “Thank You Tour” event in Goaso, he also announced the government’s plans to add 200,000 hectares of cocoa farmland nationwide. “I can assure you, the price is going to be a very, very, very good price. “For those without cocoa farms, now is the time to find land and start planting,” he advised. The 200,000-hectare expansion plan is part of a broader cocoa sector transformation that includes targeted…

In an era where agricultural sustainability and food quality have become a cause concern, a crop nutrition expert, Professor Tiago Tezotto has underscored the significant role that proper nutrient management plays in enhancing the qualities of fruits and vegetables for consumers. Leading a discussion at the ongoing Agricultural Influencers Sponsorship Programme 2025 in Morocco on ‘Crop Quality’, Professor Tezotto of the Functional Crop Nutrition Laboratory, Soil Science Department at Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz da Universidade de São Paulo – USP in Brazil reiterated that the right balance of nutrients not only improves the colour and texture but…

Professor Hudson Carvalho, a leading expert in Molecular Environmental Science at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, has urged African governments, fertiliser manufacturers, and farmers to address nutrient deficiencies in children by developing fertilisers that enhance crop nutrition. He emphasised that this initiative is crucial for ensuring that crops provide essential nutrients for children and future generations across the continent. In an exclusive interview with Enyonam Manye, the host of the Ghanaian Farmer Show during the Agricultural Influencers Programme in Morocco, Professor Carvalho acknowledged the high costs associated with nutrient-rich fertilisers. However, he encouraged governments to take inspiration from nations like Finland…

In an era where agricultural sustainability and food quality have become a cause concern, a crop nutrition expert, Professor Tiago Tezotto has underscored the significant role that proper nutrient management plays in enhancing the qualities of fruits and vegetables for consumers. Leading a discussion at the ongoing Agricultural Influencers Sponsorship Programme 2025 in Morocco on ‘Crop Quality’, Professor Tezotto of the Functional Crop Nutrition Laboratory, Soil Science Department at Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz da Universidade de São Paulo – USP in Brazil reiterated that the right balance of nutrients not only improves the colour and texture but…

Israel Economic and Trade Mission to Ghana, in partnership with the National Beekeepers Association(NATBA), held a Hybrid breakfast Forum to introduce advanced Israeli technologies and practices aimed at increasing honey yields, improving hive management, and unlocking export potential for Ghana’s beekeeping industry. The event, which was held on the 29th of May, 2025 at The Palms(Former Holiday Inn) – Accra, also aims to explore opportunities for collaboration between Ghanaian stakeholders and Israeli agritech companies under the theme: ‘Bringing Innovation and Growth in Beekeeping and Honey Export.’ The forum began with opening remarks from The Deputy Chief of the Mission of…

A new task force has been launched to resolve the longstanding tension between farmers and cattle owners, addressing the recurring issue of animal farm destruction and retaliatory cattle killings. Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture John Dumelo, while inaugurating the task force in Afram Plains, advised them to operate within the law and reaffirmed the government’s plans to reduce post-harvest losses by setting up processing centres directly on farms. Known as the Amankwakrom Cattle Ranch Taskforce, it was launched during the third edition of the Interprofessional Collaboration for Community Development (ICCD) Summit, organised by the Kwahu Asabi Royal Foundation in…