The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, has announced that the government will allocate $1 million to support over 1,500 smallholder farmers in Northern Ghana.
This funding is part of a broader initiative to boost vegetable production under the Feed Ghana Project.
In an interview with Citi FM, Mr. Opoku highlighted the government’s commitment to empowering grassroots farmers, particularly those engaged in tomato and vegetable cultivation, who face significant challenges in accessing the necessary financial resources to expand their operations.
To address this, the government will provide direct financial support to these farmers. The funding will be formalized on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, when the Minister is set to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Apex Bank to facilitate the disbursement process.
“We are focusing on peasant farmers who are registered and actively working in the field. Some are already engaged in tomato production, and we aim to organize them into cooperatives. Our team will identify these farmers and provide them with the logistics and support they need,” Mr. Opoku said.
He also noted that many farmers lack the financial resources to fully expand their operations. However, this funding aims to bridge that gap.
“This is just the beginning,” Mr. Opoku stated.
Additionally, the Minister emphasized the government’s technical support for farmers, including the provision of improved seeds and farming inputs to ensure higher productivity and year-round cultivation.
“Our technical team has developed the best quality seeds, and we are supplying them to our farmers. I’ve visited the fields, and I can assure you we have the expertise to surpass what Burkina Faso is doing,” he concluded.