The Netherlands government has reaffirmed its support for Ghana’s horticulture sector, backing initiatives aimed at improving agricultural skills, creating jobs and building competitive businesses, as the country seeks to strengthen domestic vegetable production.
The commitment was reiterated by Rens Twijnstra, First Secretary and Head of Economic Affairs at the Netherlands Embassy, at the opening of an 860-square-metre vegetable learning farm at the University of Ghana’s Legon campus.
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The facility, established by the East-West Seed Knowledge Transfer Foundation with support from the Netherlands government, in partnership with the University of Ghana and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), will provide practical training in modern vegetable production techniques for farmers, students, researchers, agricultural extension agents, agribusiness leaders and policymakers.
Twijnstra said Dutch support for Ghana’s horticulture industry had continued through initiatives including GhanaVeg, HortiFresh and the foundation’s knowledge-transfer activities.
From GhanaVeg, to HortiFresh, to this portfolio, the objective has remained remarkably consistent, a stronger, more professional, more competitive horticulture sector that creates jobs, produces good food and creates viable businesses,” he said.
The learning farm is the second established by the foundation in Ghana, following the opening of its first facility at Duayaw-Nkwanta in the Tano North Municipality of the Ahafo Region in 2025.
It will train participants in the cultivation of tomatoes, cabbage, okra, cucumber, onions, garden eggs and pepper, with the aim of improving productivity and promoting the adoption of good agronomic practices across the vegetable value chain.
The Country Manager of the East-West Seed Knowledge Transfer Foundation, Jemima Aku Djah, said the initiative aligned with the government’s efforts to increase domestic vegetable production and reduce excessive dependence on imports.
She said the foundation began operations in Ghana in 2023, initially covering the Ahafo, Bono and Bono East regions, before expanding to Ashanti and Upper East.
More than 30,000 farmers across the five regions have so far received training in good agronomic practices, she said.
Djah said inadequate technical knowledge remained a major constraint to vegetable production, with the learning farm expected to equip farmers with practical skills and greater confidence to expand cultivation.
The training at our learning sites will make farmers more confident to grow more vegetables. The knowledge will demystify the perceived risk associated with vegetable production. Lack of knowledge has been a key challenge against the sector,” she said.
The facility is also expected to strengthen agricultural education and research by providing opportunities for practical classes, internships, field demonstrations and research trials.
Professor Naalamle Amissah of the West Africa Horticulture Innovation Hub at the University of Ghana said the centre would help bridge the gap between classroom instruction and practical agricultural training.
For extension professionals, this is a place to sharpen practical skills and carry demonstration tools back to your districts and for students, this is a living classroom: practical classes, internships alongside professional technical staff, research trials with real data, and mentorship from people working in the sector,” she said.
The learning farm adds to efforts to improve technical capacity and promote the application of better production practices in Ghana’s horticulture sector, where improved productivity and stronger commercial links are important to developing viable businesses and reducing reliance on imported vegetables.
