Ghana Rolls Out $1M Fund to Empower Northern Farmers and Boost Food Security

In a bold move to strengthen agriculture and combat food insecurity in the northern parts of the country, Ghana’s Minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, has launched a US$1 million revolving fund. The fund is set up to support smallholder farmers and is part of a larger $20 million grant provided by the Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme (GAFSP), with backing from the African Development Bank (AfDB). The launch took place in Accra, signaling Ghana’s commitment to empowering farmers and ensuring long-term agricultural sustainability.

This initiative is focused on 12 districts across six regions, with special attention to women and youth who are most affected by poverty and food insecurity. Minister Opoku emphasized that the program goes beyond just financial aid—it’s about building resilient, sustainable food systems that can uplift entire communities. The fund, which will revolve to continually support new farmers, is designed to inject affordable capital into Ghana’s agricultural sector, helping boost both livelihoods and productivity.

Some key features of the program include access to climate-smart inputs for staple crops like maize, rice, soybean, cowpea, and groundnuts. Farmers will also benefit from improved mechanization services through handheld tools, solar-powered irrigation kits for year-round vegetable farming, and support for household poultry farming to improve nutrition and food diversity at the local level.

The $1 million fund is expected to make a real difference, offering farmers access to affordable credit that will help them scale up operations, adapt to climate change, and become more self-sufficient. With this, Ghana is not only addressing immediate agricultural challenges but also laying the groundwork for a more secure and resilient food future.

Source: Citi newsroom