The Minister-Designate for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, appeared before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Monday, January 20, 2025, to outline his vision for revitalizing Ghana’s agricultural sector.
During the vetting, he addressed pressing issues, including cocoa production, the poultry industry, youth participation in agriculture, and institutional farming.
1. Ghana’s Cocoa Production Hits a Two-Decade Low
Mr. Eric Opoku expressed concern over the sharp decline in Ghana’s cocoa production, which has reached its lowest level in 20 years. He cited data from the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), which revealed that cocoa production for the season stood at 530,000 metric tonnes.
“Just recently, during the transition engagement, COCOBOD submitted a list to us. In that document, they indicated that their production was 530,000 metric tonnes. In this case, both of you are right. But whether it is 430,000 or 530,000 metric tonnes, the fact remains that production has declined to the lowest level in the last two decades,” he stated.
Mr. Opoku further revealed that Ghana defaulted on a syndicated loan of $800 million, taken to purchase 850,000 tonnes of cocoa, due to the inability to meet production targets. He assured that the government would prioritize addressing this debt and other financial challenges within the sector.
2. Revamping Ghana’s Poultry Sector
Mr. Opoku described the poultry industry as being “in crisis” and outlined a comprehensive plan to revitalize it under the Poultry Farm to the Table Programme. This initiative, he explained, will support poultry farmers by providing financial resources to expand their businesses and increase production.
“To revamp the poultry sector, we have outlined a program in our manifesto called the Poultry Farm to the Table Programme. Under this initiative, we aim to collaborate with poultry farmers’ associations, providing them with the necessary financial resources to expand their businesses and increase production,” he said.
He identified the high cost of poultry feed as a major challenge and pledged to prioritize the production of affordable feed to ease the burden on farmers.
3. Making Agriculture Attractive to the Youth
Mr. Opoku emphasized the need to make agriculture appealing to young Ghanaians, stating, “We want to make agriculture attractive to the youth and to everyone in this country.”
To achieve this, he proposed a government-led initiative to acquire land from landowners, prepare it for agricultural purposes, and hand it over to farmers. This strategy, he noted, aims to boost food production and enhance food security.
“We intend to acquire the land, prepare it for agricultural purposes, and then hand it over to prospective investors so that we can increase production and drive our nation towards food sufficiency,” he explained.
Opoku also stressed the importance of recruiting more agricultural extension officers to provide technical support to farmers, addressing the current shortfall in extension services.
4. Institutional Farming in Secondary Schools
The Minister-Designate proposed an initiative to establish farms in every secondary school in Ghana as part of efforts to strengthen the agricultural sector. He highlighted the benefits of institutional farming, particularly for the school feeding programme.
“Every secondary school in this country will be required to own a farm,” he said, adding that collaboration with the Ministry of Education would ensure the recruitment of laborers to establish and maintain the farms.
“If nothing else, we can reduce the cost of school feeding and also enhance both the quality and quantity of the food provided to our students,” he explained.
Mr. Opoku believes this initiative will not only improve food security in schools but also instill an appreciation for agriculture among students.
ALSO READ: