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.

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.

By Elikem Desewu

Ghana’s industrialization journey may be entering a defining chapter. Ekumfi Fruits & Juices Limited is emerging as a potential model for turning development-finance investment into agricultural prosperity, youth employment, industrial expansion and export growth.

With Ghana EXIM Bank participation — its existing credit now restructured to approximately US$6 million — Ekumfi has built an industrial enterprise with an estimated asset value of US$53 million — a modern fruit-processing facility, Ghanaian juice brands, and a foundation for international market expansion.

Yet this substantial investment has lived with a contradiction.

Despite significant processing capacity, the company has been constrained by inadequate supplies of pineapple and other fruits, and by the 20% excise duty imposed on locally manufactured fruit juices in 2023. At times, production has been limited to roughly two days a week, leaving equipment and infrastructure underused.

The cost reaches well beyond the company. Farmers lose an established industrial buyer. Young people miss employment and enterprise opportunities. Ghana loses manufacturing output and export earnings.

Ekumfi’s challenge has never simply been the existence of a factory. It has been building the agricultural and financial ecosystem needed to keep that factory running at its potential.

Today, the government’s excise reforms, the Feed the Industries Programme and the 24-Hour Economy agenda create an opening to address those structural constraints.

The Excise Duty Removal Creates a New Opening

Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson announced the abolition of the 20% excise duty on locally manufactured fruit juices in the 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review on 23 July. The exemption, enacted under the Excise Duty Act, 2026, took effect on 1 October 2026.

For Ekumfi, the change can improve price competitiveness, strengthen operating margins, stimulate consumer demand and free up room for reinvestment in agricultural production.

But removing the tax solves only one side of the industrial equation.

The more fundamental challenge is raw material. A processing plant cannot run three shifts a day when its agricultural supply chain supports only a fraction of installed capacity.

This is where Feed the Industries becomes decisive.

Feed the Industries: Linking Ghana’s Farms to Its Factories

The Feed the Industries Programme, under the 24-Hour Economy framework, is designed to connect agricultural production directly to industrial demand.

For Ekumfi, that means a coordinated fruit-supply system drawing on commercial estates, smallholder farmers, youth agricultural enterprises, out-grower cooperatives and agricultural service providers.

Management estimates that sustained 24-hour operations would require more than 9,000 acres of pineapple and other fruits.

Crucially, the land is already in place. Ekumfi has secured 9,500 acres for juice, tea and tepache feedstock — more than the full 24-hour requirement — with full capacity achievable within 36 months. The constraint is no longer land, but the planting finance, inputs and grower mobilization needed to bring it into production.

That is not merely an agricultural challenge. It is a major economic opportunity.

Rather than relying solely on company-owned plantations, Ekumfi can establish structured partnerships with thousands of farmers and young entrepreneurs growing fruit under agreed quality, delivery and pricing terms. The factory gains dependable supply; growers gain a defined industrial market.

Feed the Industries can turn Ekumfi’s raw-material shortage into rural wealth creation.

GH₵52,000 Per Acre: A New Opportunity for Youth and Pineapple Growers

The most compelling dimension of the proposed expansion is the opening it creates for youth, smallholders, landowners and agricultural entrepreneurs to participate directly in the pineapple value chain.

Under the proposed cultivation model, one acre of pineapple could generate an estimated GH₵52,000 in gross revenue per successful harvest cycle. Young people could start commercial farming on modest plots; existing growers could scale up.

If the full 9,000-acre requirement were planted with pineapple at this revenue level, gross farm-gate value could reach GH₵468 million per harvest cycle. Because Ekumfi also needs other fruits, the real mix will depend on acreage allocated to each crop.

The programme could be structured around one-acre, five-acre and ten-acre production units for young growers, backed by land access, improved planting material, technical assistance, mechanization and structured off take agreements.

The opportunity extends well beyond the farm gate: seedling multiplication, land preparation, irrigation, harvesting, transport, aggregation, farm management and agricultural technology could each support thousands of livelihoods.

Management estimates that the full Ekumfi value chain — nurseries, land preparation, cultivation, harvesting, haulage, aggregation, processing, packaging and distribution — could support around 18,000 jobs in the Central Region alone.

One distinction matters. GH₵52,000 is potential gross revenue, not guaranteed profit. Growers must cover cultivation, labour, inputs, financing and transport, and a pineapple cycle can run longer than a year.

Even so, the model shows how industrial demand can anchor commercial agriculture. Instead of simply urging young Ghanaians into farming, the country can offer them a defined industrial market, structured production support and a real pathway to commercial income.

From Two Days a Week to US$4 Million a Month

Management estimates that with adequate raw material, working capital and market access, sustained 24-hour production could deliver monthly turnover of about US$4 million — US$48 million a year.

Moving from two days a week toward continuous operation would sharply improve utilization of existing equipment, utilities, labour and infrastructure, while expanding market presence and multiplying demand for local produce.

The lesson for Ghana’s industrial agenda is clear: the country can unlock substantial value not only by building new factories, but by helping existing ones run at full capacity.

Could Ekumfi Repay Its EXIM Credit Within Two Years?

One of the most consequential implications concerns Ekumfi’s obligations to Ghana EXIM Bank.

At US$48 million in annual turnover, the company would generate materially stronger cash flow to support restructuring and repayment. Illustratively, a 15% free-cash-flow margin would yield about US$7.2 million before further financing needs or restrictions on distributions.

At that level, the restructured US$6 million EXIM credit could be cleared within 24 months. That means about US$3 million a year, or US$250,000 a month, which is less than half of the illustrative annual free cash flow. Even at half that margin (7.5%), annual cash generation of about US$3.6 million would still cover the principal schedule. A two-year plan repays EXIM in full while leaving headroom for working capital, cropping and interest, rather than sweeping every cedi to a single lender.

Restructuring the existing EXIM exposure into a US$6 million credit does two things. It gives Ekumfi a defined, serviceable obligation, and it leaves room for other financial institutions to participate, providing the working-capital, raw-material and expansion finance that no single lender should carry alone. The actual timeline will still depend on interest, operating margins, working-capital needs and agreed repayment terms.

The broader point stands: restoring industrial productivity offers development financiers a more credible recovery pathway than leaving major manufacturing assets idle. A structured recovery programme can align EXIM’s repayment interests with agricultural expansion, higher factory output and growing export revenue.

From Ghanaian Pineapples to a Global Juice Brand

Ekumfi’s processing platform can produce value-added beverages from pineapple, citrus, ginger, passion fruit and other local crops.

With adequate volumes, competitive pricing, consistent quality and established distribution partners, the company can extend its reach across African, European, North American and Middle Eastern markets.

The gains ripple through the economy: more fruit production creates farm income; more manufacturing creates industrial jobs; packaging and distribution support other businesses; exports earn foreign exchange.

This is the central promise of agricultural industrialization — converting locally grown crops into internationally marketed finished products, and capturing value through processing, branding and distribution rather than exporting raw produce.

Why Ekumfi Survived Where State-Led Factories Stalled

Ekumfi’s story becomes sharper when set beside the record of state-led agro-industrial investment in the same region and beyond.

The record is sobering. The state-owned Ayensu Starch Company has shut down repeatedly since 2002 over raw-material shortages and equipment failures. The Komenda Sugar Factory, rebuilt in 2016 for about US$35 million, has barely operated since. NABCO placed some 100,000 graduates in temporary public roles that ended without a pipeline into lasting enterprise. And under One District, One Factory (1D1F), more than 300 factories stand idle or unfinished today.

The common thread is not a shortage of public money. Over three decades and more, the state has committed capital to factories and programmes without the sustained private ownership, management discipline and equity at risk needed to keep them running when conditions turned difficult.

Ekumfi took a different route. Backed by private sponsors with their own capital committed, it has kept its factory, brands and markets alive through the excise burden, raw-material shortfalls and financing delays — and today sells Ghanaian juice at home and abroad.

That is a lesson the state should note. Rather than building and running factories on its own, or simply recovering legacy debt from the private ventures that survived, government and its development finance institutions should consider taking equity positions alongside committed private sponsors. Equity aligns the state with the upside as utilization rises, strengthens the balance sheet lenders look to, and leaves day-to-day management with operators who have proven they can keep a factory running. Ekumfi offers a ready test case.

A Practical Model for the 24-Hour Economy

Ekumfi can serve as a demonstration project for how Feed the Industries and the 24-Hour Economy work together. The model connects six elements:

• Agricultural expansion — develop 9,000+ acres of pineapple and other fruits through company estates, commercial growers and outgrower arrangements.
• Youth and farmer empowerment — enable growers to target gross crop revenue of up to GH₵52,000 per acre per successful harvest cycle.
• Industrial production — progressively raise factory utilization toward sustained 24-hour operation.
• Market development — expand domestic distribution and exports to support projected turnover of US$48 million a year.
• Financial recovery — service the restructured US$6 million EXIM credit from operating cash flow, while other institutions participate in funding growth.
• State equity partnership — convert public support into equity alongside private sponsors, sharing in the upside of a working factory rather than funding stalled ones.

Delivery requires collaboration among Ekumfi, Ghana EXIM Bank, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, the 24-Hour Economy Authority, agricultural investors and commercial financiers — and a phased implementation plan with independently validated yields, acreage, processing capacity, customer demand and working-capital needs.

The Bigger Picture: Turning Industrial Investment Into National Wealth

Ekumfi’s story poses a question for Ghana’s development-finance strategy: what happens when the country invests in a major industrial asset but not in the supply chain needed to sustain it?

The answer is an underused factory, mounting financial pressure, lost farm income and missed exports.

The reverse is just as true. When agriculture, manufacturing, finance and markets are coordinated, the same investment becomes an engine of growth.

For young people, the opportunity can begin with a single acre of pineapple. For established farmers, it means scaling up with a dependable industrial buyer. For Ghana EXIM Bank, it offers a pathway to improved recovery through higher production. For Ghana, it demonstrates how Feed the Industries can turn agricultural potential into manufacturing output, export earnings and rural prosperity.

The Ekumfi Opportunity Is Bigger Than One Factory

Ghana does not need to abandon valuable industrial investments because they have faced difficulty. It needs to identify and remove the constraints holding them back.

For Ekumfi Fruits & Juices, that means connecting a modern processing factory to thousands of acres of productive farmland, empowering young growers and expanding markets for Ghanaian-made beverages — moving from limited weekly runs to 24-hour operation, from raw-material shortage to a structured supply chain, and from financial pressure to a firm foundation for repayment and export growth.

The factory has been built. The asset exists. The land has been acquired. The task now is to feed the factory, empower the farmers, create wealth for the youth and build a globally competitive Ghanaian juice brand.

That is the promise of Ekumfi under Ghana’s Feed the Industries and 24-Hour Economy agenda.

The African Women in Animal Resources Farming and Agribusiness Network Ghana (AWARFA-N Ghana) has donated 41 crates of eggs to the Ga North Municipal Assembly as part of activities marking World Egg Day 2026, while urging Ghanaians to embrace egg consumption to improve nutrition and strengthen food security.

The celebration, held on Friday, October 9, at the Assembly’s conference room, brought together Assembly Members, Unit Committee Members, management, staff and workers to raise awareness of the nutritional benefits of eggs and their contribution to employment and livelihoods.

Speaking on behalf of AWARFA-N Ghana, the organisation’s General Secretary, Dora Kwarteng, encouraged participants to make eggs a regular part of their diets, describing them as an affordable source of essential nutrients for healthy living.

The egg is a simple but highly nutritious food. It provides quality protein and important vitamins and minerals needed for the growth and development of children, the strength of adults, and the overall well-being of families,” she said.

She noted that eggs contributed not only to household nutrition but also to employment and income generation for poultry farmers, traders, transporters, processors and other businesses along the poultry value chain.

Supporting egg production, therefore, means supporting food security, employment and livelihoods,” Ms Kwarteng said.

She urged consumers to support local poultry farmers by purchasing locally produced eggs, adding that stronger demand would help sustain businesses and improve livelihoods across the industry.

Promoting nutrition and local poultry production

The celebration was held under the theme, “The Egg for a Healthy Life and a Stronger Future,” to highlight the role of eggs in human nutrition, public health, food security and sustainable livelihoods.

Kwarteng explained that World Egg Day provided an opportunity to educate the public about the benefits of egg consumption while recognising the contribution of farmers and other actors who ensure that eggs reach consumers.

She also called for safe production practices, the supply of quality eggs, proper handling and hygienic preparation to protect consumers.

One egg provides quality protein and essential nutrients. One egg can support the growth and development of a child, and one egg can provide income for a farmer,

 trader or processor,” she said.

The distribution of 31 crates of eggs and 300 cooked eggs formed part of AWARFA-N Ghana’s public education and community engagement efforts to encourage greater appreciation and consumption of eggs.

Women’s role in agribusiness

The Greater Accra Regional President of AWARFA-N Ghana, Florence Kotey Dzokoto, also highlighted the nutritional benefits of eggs and encouraged community members to incorporate them into their daily meals.

Other national executives who participated in the celebration included the National Organiser, Rose Awuye.

Established in 2019, AWARFA-N Ghana is the Ghana chapter of a continental network initiated by the African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) under the Livestock Development Strategy for Africa (Live2Africa) project.

The network seeks to empower women to establish viable livelihoods and competitive enterprises in the animal resources sector through advocacy, training, capacity building, and improved access to finance and markets.

It also aims to strengthen women’s skills in animal resources farming and agribusiness, enabling them to contribute meaningfully to food security and economic development.

Kwarteng said empowering women in the poultry value chain was essential to building sustainable businesses and strengthening the sector’s contribution to the national economy.

Call for collective action

AWARFA-N Ghana expressed appreciation to the Ga North Municipal Assembly for hosting the delegation and providing a platform to engage Assembly Members, staff and workers on the importance of eggs to healthy living and economic development.

The organisation called for greater collaboration among consumers, farmers, government and industry stakeholders to make eggs more accessible and affordable in Ghanaian households.

It reiterated its commitment to promoting egg consumption, supporting women in animal resources farming and agribusiness, and advocating a stronger and more sustainable poultry industry.

The celebration ended with a call to action: “Eat an Egg Today for a Healthy Tomorrow!”

By Derrick Botsyoe

The Apex Body of the Women in Poultry Value Chain (WIPVaC-Apex Ghana) has marked World Egg Day with a donation of 41 crates of eggs to the La Nkwantanang-Madina Municipal Assembly and market women at Madina Market, while calling for increased support for women in the poultry industry to boost production, create jobs and strengthen Ghana’s food security.

The donation formed part of the organisation’s corporate social responsibility activities aimed at promoting egg consumption, raising public awareness of its nutritional benefits and strengthening relationships with stakeholders.

The National President of WIPVaC, Mavis Wobill, said the celebration was an opportunity to recognise the enormous contribution of eggs to nutrition, livelihoods and food security, while highlighting the important role women play in poultry production.

She said women in the poultry value chain remained critical to ensuring access to nutritious food for families and communities, adding that sustained support for local egg production was necessary to strengthen the industry and improve livelihoods.

Madam Wobill called on the public, government and industry stakeholders to promote egg consumption, support local poultry farmers and empower more women to participate and succeed in the sector.

Let us continue to support local egg production, promote the nutritional benefits of eggs, and empower more women to participate and succeed in the poultry industry.” She noted.

Emmanuella Kpeli, National Secretary of the Apex Body of WIPVaC, said the organisation decided to share eggs with staff of the Assembly in appreciation of its continued support, including providing office space for its regional meetings.

She said World Egg Day, celebrated annually on the second Friday in October, offered an opportunity to educate the public on the nutritional value of eggs and encourage greater consumption.

According to her, eggs provide high-quality protein and other essential nutrients that contribute to a balanced diet, including for pregnant women.

We believe we should not enjoy the benefits of eggs alone. We want to share them with our stakeholders and partners who have supported us over the years,” she said.

Madam Kpeli disclosed that this year, WIPVaC extended the celebration to the Madina Market, where it distribute boiled eggs to kayayei (head porters) to enable them to benefit from the nutritional value of eggs.

She said the organisation had undertaken similar outreach activities over the years, donating to schools, orphanages and psychiatric hospitals, while engaging media organisations to promote public education on poultry production and egg consumption.

Despite its outreach efforts, madam Kpeli said the poultry industry continued to face significant operational and financial challenges that threatened the sustainability of businesses, particularly those owned by women.

She identified fluctuating feed prices as one of the major concerns confronting poultry farmers, explaining that unpredictable production costs made business planning difficult and affected profitability.

Access to credit also remained a challenge, she said, as some financial institutions considered poultry farming a high-risk venture and were reluctant to provide loans to operators in the sector.

The industry had also experienced periods of egg glut and declining sales, forcing some farmers and traders to depend on personal resources to sustain their businesses.

Madam Kpeli called on the government to introduce policies that would strengthen the poultry industry, improve access to affordable financing and provide greater support for women entrepreneurs.

She urged women not to regard poultry farming as an occupation reserved for men, stressing that increased female participation could contribute significantly to agricultural development, job creation and national food security.

For her part, Emmanuella Ayeboah, Principal Human Resource Manager of the La Nkwantanang-Madina Municipal Assembly, expressed appreciation to WIPVaC for the donation and the public education accompanying the initiative.

She said the engagement had helped highlight the health and nutritional benefits of eggs, which remain a common food in many Ghanaian households.

Ayeboa reaffirmed the Assembly’s appreciation for its relationship with WIPVaC and expressed hope that the partnership would continue to grow.

WIPVaC represents women engaged in various aspects of the poultry value chain, including poultry farming, egg trading, processing, feed milling, imports and the supply of poultry inputs. The organization would continue collaborating with stakeholders to promote egg consumption, support women in the poultry value chain and contribute to Ghana’s food security agenda.

Opoku said Ghana produced about 4.6 million tonnes of maize last year, against estimated national demand of 3.6 million tonnes, resulting in a surplus of approximately one million tonnes.

He said the growing surplus made it necessary to expand the country’s grain storage infrastructure to ensure that increased agricultural production did not result in losses for farmers.

The Minister made the disclosure at the first Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Ghana Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) in Accra on September 24.

The meeting was held on the theme, “Strengthening Food Security through Strategic Partnership.”

NAFCO urged to expand storage

Opoku urged NAFCO to take a leading role in expanding the country’s grain storage capacity by constructing more silos to accommodate rising cereal production.

He said increasing NAFCO’s capacity to purchase and store excess production would provide farmers with a reliable market while protecting them from losses associated with inadequate storage and weak market access.

The Minister said NAFCO currently had 20,443 tonnes of grains in storage, describing the stock as an important step towards rebuilding Ghana’s strategic food reserves.

He said the Ministry of Food and Agriculture had worked with NAFCO’s board and management to strengthen the company’s operations and rebuild its reserves following years of financial and operational challenges.

NAFCO to settle ECOWAS grain obligation

Opoku also disclosed that government had directed NAFCO to release 50,000 bags of grains to settle Ghana’s outstanding obligation to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

He explained that Ghana borrowed grains from ECOWAS in 2018 to support the School Feeding Programme.

According to the Minister, the improved position of NAFCO has enabled the country to repay the grain.

Today, by the grace of God and with the prudent management of the company, we have been able to procure enough, more than enough, for us to pay back what we borrowed,” he said.

He further directed NAFCO to ensure that suppliers contracted to provide food for public feeding programmes purchase directly from Ghanaian farmers rather than relying on imported food.

Opoku said using imported food for programmes such as the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) initiative could undermine local agriculture by shifting demand and job creation outside the country.

NAFCO records GH¢91.7m profit

Meanwhile, NAFCO Chief Executive Officer George Abradu-Otoo said the company recorded its strongest financial performance in 2025.

He said NAFCO recorded a net profit before tax of GH¢91.7 million, compared with a GH¢19.4 million loss in 2024.

The 2025 net profit before tax of GH¢91.7 million not only erased a GH¢19.4 million loss posted the previous year, but it is the highest profit made by the company,” he said.

Abradu-Otoo said NAFCO had also recorded profits in several previous years, including 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022 and 2023, but the 2025 result surpassed all previous performances.

The company’s gross profit margin increased from 1.61 per cent in 2024 to 13.96 per cent in 2025, which he attributed to improved cost control and stronger revenue growth.

NAFCO’s return on operating assets also improved from negative 63.80 per cent to positive 26.29 per cent, reflecting what the CEO described as better deployment and management of the company’s assets.

The company also paid GH¢20.3 million in taxes to the state in 2025, its highest annual tax contribution in its 16-year history, Mr Abradu-Otoo said.

Despite the improved financial performance, he said NAFCO continued to face operational risks, particularly challenges relating to working-capital management, which could affect its ability to purchase and store grains on the scale required to support Ghana’s growing agricultural production.

Ghana may have created one of its most important policy openings in decades to transform agriculture from a producer of raw commodities into a major processing, manufacturing and export industry.

The combination of President John Dramani Mahama’s 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development programme, government’s removal of excise duty on locally manufactured fruit juices, proposed incentives for machinery and equipment used by qualifying 24-hour industries, and improving macroeconomic stability provides a potentially powerful platform for a new generation of Ghanaian agro-industrial businesses.

Properly developed across cocoa, pineapple, rubber, shea, avocado, coconut, oil palm, Bambara beans, chickpeas, millet, quinoa, tiger nuts and other natural crops, the opportunity could exceed US$9billion annually.

At sufficient scale across farming, processing, manufacturing, packaging, logistics, research and exports, the wider value chain could also support an ambition of more than 800,000 direct, indirect and induced jobs.

These would not be jobs for farmers alone. The emerging industries would require engineers, food scientists, processing technicians, machine operators, laboratory specialists, agronomists, drivers, packaging manufacturers, exporters, marketers, logistics companies and young entrepreneurs.

This is therefore not simply an agriculture story. It is an industrialization opportunity built on what Ghana can grow, process, manufacture and sell competitively to domestic and international markets.

For years, Ghanaian agro-processors have faced a difficult contradiction. The country has encouraged agricultural production and local manufacturing while processors have simultaneously confronted taxes, expensive imported machinery, high financing costs, exchange-rate volatility and an inconsistent supply of agricultural raw materials.

Tax relief resets the economic processing

One of the most significant interventions is the removal of excise duty on locally manufactured fruit juices. President Mahama, when assenting to the Excise Act, 2026, specifically highlighted the exemption as an incentive for local production.

Industry associations in Ekumfi and Asebu welcomed the government and Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson’s decision to abolish the 20 percent excise duty, arguing that the tax had constrained investment across a value chain covering pineapple, papaya, citrus, passion fruit, ginger and coconut.

For processors such as Ekumfi Fruits and Juices, the removal could improve the economics of domestic processing. If factories become more competitive and buy more fruit, farmers can expand acreage, while greater production creates demand for nurseries, irrigation, labor, packaging, transportation and distribution.

24-hour economy offers production platform

The 24-Hour Economy programme provides another part of the industrial platform. The programme is designed around expanding production, employment and exports, while its incentive framework is intended to make industrial expansion and retooling more attractive.

President Mahama announced that qualifying factories registered under the initiative would be allowed to import machinery and equipment for expansion or retooling without paying duties and taxes. The framework also provides import-tax relief for machinery used in strategic agriculture and manufacturing, alongside corporate-tax incentives linked to multi-shift operations.

A juice factory operating one shift could move towards two or three. Cocoa processors could increase capacity utilization, while oil-extraction facilities, cold stores, packaging lines, transport services and export-preparation facilities could operate beyond conventional business hours.

Economic stability is also playing a role

Stability is equally important, businesses importing machinery, packaging materials and specialized equipment need a predictable exchange rate, manageable inflation and access to long-term financing.

The Bank of Ghana said on September 17 that inflation had returned within its target band, external buffers had strengthened and the exchange rate had remained broadly stable. The direction is encouraging, although borrowing costs remain a constraint.

Ghana needs only a fraction of the global market

Global consumers are spending heavily on healthy foods, functional foods, plant proteins, natural beverages, nutraceutical ingredients and wellness products. The global healthy-foods market is estimated at approximately US$1.16trillion in 2026, while functional foods alone are estimated at more than US$421billion.

Ghana’s proposed US$9billion opportunity would represent less than one percent of the US$1.16trillion market. The country does not need to dominate the industry. It must identify areas where it has agricultural and industrial advantages and capture a commercially meaningful share.

Cocoa should be one of the first pillars. The opportunity extends beyond exporting beans into cocoa liquor, butter, powder, chocolate, beverages, functional ingredients and cosmetics.

Niche Cocoa provides an example of how locally produced cocoa can move through industrial processing into finished products. Its expansion into the United States also illustrates how a Ghanaian value chain can move closer to major consumer markets.

The model should be to grow in Ghana, process in Ghana, add value, build brands and reach global consumers. Government has reinforced this direction, with President Mahama committing to process at least 50 percent of Ghana’s cocoa beans locally.

Pineapple and other fruits provide another foundation. Ekumfi Fruits and Juices connects farms to processing, packaging, branding and distribution. The removal of the excise duty could support expansion beyond conventional juice into fruit concentrates, natural powders, dried fruits, ginger beverages, essential oils, nutraceutical ingredients and wellness drinks.

An expanded Ekumfi-centered fruit ecosystem could support between 12,000 and 25,000 direct, indirect and induced jobs, subject to economic modeling.

Crops must feed into factories

Rubber, shea, avocado, coconut and oil palm offer additional routes into manufacturing, exports and import substitution.

Ghana can deepen its rubber industry from plantations and latex processing into footwear, hoses, seals, construction materials and automotive components. Shea can move from nuts and butter into specialty fats, cosmetics, food ingredients and branded consumer products, creating opportunities for collectors, women-led businesses, processors and exporters across northern Ghana.

Avocado provides a dual opportunity. Premium fruit can be exported fresh, while other grades can be processed into oil, powder, cosmetics, food ingredients and nutrition products. Coconut can supply water, milk, virgin oil, flour, cosmetics, fibre and activated carbon.

Oil palm can support refined oils, food products, soaps, cosmetics and oleo chemicals. It also offers Ghana the opportunity to replace imports and retain foreign exchange.

The common objective is to move from selling raw agricultural materials to producing the higher-value products purchased by final consumers.

Plant protein could become Ghana’s next food industry

Bambara beans, chickpeas, millet, quinoa and tiger nuts could be converted into protein flours, concentrates, plant-based beverages, breakfast products, nutrition bars, healthy snacks and food-manufacturing ingredients.

Bambara could be processed into flour, protein concentrates, beverages and breakfast foods, while millet could support cereals, instant porridge, snacks and nutrition drinks. Chickpeas and quinoa should first undergo agronomic and commercial testing before large-scale production.

Tiger nuts offer opportunities in milk, flour, oil, fibre and functional beverages. Combining these crops with Ghanaian cocoa, coconut, pineapple and ginger could produce distinctive Ghanaian foods for domestic and export markets.

Possible products include a cocoa-and-Bambara protein beverage, a pineapple-and-ginger functional drink, a millet-and-tiger-nut breakfast beverage and coconut-based plant-protein products.

At this stage, Ghana would no longer merely be growing crops. It would be developing food technology built around formulation, intellectual property, manufacturing, packaging, branding and distribution.

Young Ghanaians could enter the industry as agronomists, food scientists, engineers, laboratory specialists, drone operators, machine operators, packaging entrepreneurs, product developers, exporters and brand owners.

US$9 billon ambition needs hard numbers

Reaching the projected US$9billion annual value will require financing from commercial banks, pension funds, insurance companies, development-finance institutions, private-equity funds and local and foreign strategic investors. The funding must cover commercial cultivation, irrigation, processing plants, cold storage, machinery, packaging and export logistics. Government’s incentives have improved the investment case, but the opportunity will depend on converting the proposed value chains into bankable projects backed by reliable raw-material supplies, long-term financing and confirmed domestic and export markets.

The nationwide innovation programme identifies, mentors and supports innovators to turn technology-driven ideas into practical, commercially viable solutions that address everyday challenges, expand financial access and strengthen Ghana’s digital economy.

Of the over 990 entries received, 56 per cent fall under Everyday Payments and Financial Access, the largest of the four innovation tracks. Business and Merchant Growth Tools accounts for 17 per cent, followed by Trust, Security and Digital Identity at 15 per cent, and Future of Finance and Connected Ecosystems at 12 per cent.

The entries span different stages of development: 374 submissions (37.8 per cent) are at the concept stage, 341 (34.4 per cent) are at the idea stage, 156 (15.8 per cent) are prototypes and 119 (12.0 per cent) are minimum viable products (MVPs). Regionally, Accra accounts for 63 per cent of entries, Kumasi 26 per cent and Tamale 11 per cent.

Commenting on the response, Shaibu Haruna, Chief Executive Officer of MobileMoney Fintech LTD, said, “The response so far is encouraging. Receiving nearly 1,000 submissions demonstrates the depth of Ghana’s innovative talent and the strong appetite to develop solutions to real-world challenges. We are particularly encouraged by ideas that seek to make payments and financial services more accessible, support businesses and merchants, and strengthen the wider digital economy. We invite more innovators to apply before the September 30 deadline and bring forward ideas with the potential to create meaningful impact.”

Following the application stage, selected applicants will take part in zonal bootcamps and hackathons in Tamale, Kumasi and Accra, where they will receive training and pitch their ideas to expert panels. Successful participants will then progress to a mentorship lab for further guidance and support to refine their solutions.

The programme will culminate in a National Demo Day, where finalists will showcase their solutions and compete for cash awards of up to GHS100,000, as well as digital devices and other support to advance their work.

Beyond the awards, selected participants will gain technical, leadership and commercialization skills, mentorship, industry exposure and access to networks designed to help them develop scalable, sustainable solutions.

Innovators can apply free of charge through the MoMo App before September 30 by following these steps:

• Download or open the MoMo App.
• Log in with your MoMo number and PIN.
• Select the MoMo Fintech Lab banner on the home page.
• Complete and submit the application form with your individual or team details.

Launched on August 12, the MoMo Fintech Lab identifies, mentors and supports innovators developing solutions that address everyday challenges and contributes to Ghana’s digital financial services ecosystem.

The programme is organised in partnership with the Bank of Ghana, with support from ecosystem partners including GCB Bank, Hubtel, appsNmobile, Zenith Bank, First National Bank, Blue Penguin, Korba, Fidelity Bank, Afrifanom (VaMiJo) and JUMO.

Dr. Rich Kofi Kofituo, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the TCDA in charge of Operations, said the Authority was implementing measures to strengthen regulation, improve farmer incomes, promote local processing and ensure greater value was retained within Ghana.

He was speaking to the media after the opening of the three-day 2026 African Cashew Alliance (ACA) Annual Conference and expo in Accra, being held under the theme “Sustainable Cashew Supply through Policy, Investment and Partnership.”

According to Dr. Kofituo, the TCDA was established under the Tree Crops Development Authority Act, 2019 (Act 1010), to regulate and sustainably develop six major tree crops—cashew, coconut, oil palm, rubber, mango and shea.

He said although the Authority had existed since 2019, its activities became more prominent from 2024, prompting intensified efforts to create public awareness about its mandate.

The authority by an Act of Parliament, Act 1010, is in charge of regulating and also sustainably developing six of our key cash crops in Ghana, which are cashew, coconut, oil palm, rubber, mango and shea,” Dr. Kofituo mentioned.

Focus on value addition

Dr. Kofituo said a major priority of the Authority was to reduce Ghana’s dependence on raw cashew exports by promoting domestic processing and value addition.

He noted that opportunities existed beyond the cashew nut itself, particularly in the utilisation of the cashew apple, much of which he said was currently left on farms after harvesting.

His Excellency the President John Dramani Mahama’s concentration or effort is to look at how we can add value to the raw cashew nut and even process beyond the cashew nut to the apple,” he said. Addeing that “Ninety per cent of the cashew apple that is being used in this is just left on the farm and unattended to.”

Dr. Kofituo said the Authority was therefore encouraging investment in processing and the development of products from both the cashew nut and apple.

He further added that Ghana was also putting in place mechanisms to reserve a proportion of cashew production for domestic processors, with the specific percentage to be determined by the appropriate committee of the TCDA Board.

Farmers at centre of regulation

Dr. Kofituo stressed that the drive for value addition must directly benefit farmers, who remain the foundation of the cashew value chain.

He said the TCDA had introduced a minimum pricing mechanism aimed at protecting farmers from unfair pricing practices and ensuring that they received profitable returns for their produce.

The farmer is at the centre of the minimum pricing mechanism that is being done at the Tree Crop Development Authority so that people don’t take advantage of what has been happening previously,” he said.

He explained that the mechanism brought together actors in the sector to determine prices in a manner that provides farmers with a reasonable return.

The Authority is also promoting the use of improved planting materials, with Dr. Kofituo disclosing that at least 25,000 improved cashew planting materials had recently been distributed to farmers in cashew-growing areas.

He said farming inputs and protective equipment had also been provided to producers.

Traceability system

Dr. Kofituo said Ghana had also begun strengthening traceability in the cashew sector as part of efforts to improve regulation.

We started with traceability issues. So now we want to know if you are farming cashew from a particular community, maybe Sampa, and it’s coming to Accra. We even know the farmer that gave you that cashew,” he said.

According to him, the system would allow the Authority to track cashew from the farm through the various stages of the supply chain to the port.

He said the next stage would be to use the traceability system to direct a specified proportion of cashew to local processors before the commodity could be exported.

That is what we want to get to so that we add value before the cashew goes out of this country,” he said.

Support for small-scale processors

Dr. Kofituo said government’s approach would not be limited to large industrial processing companies, noting that small and artisanal operators also play an important role in the cashew value chain.

He said the TCDA was working to improve their efficiency through technology while helping them become more attractive to financial institutions.

What really lacks at their level is financing,” he said, adding that the Authority was helping small businesses improve their bookkeeping, operational systems and environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards.

He observed that such measures would make small-scale processors more “bankable” and better positioned to access grants and financing from banks and other institutions.

Government calls for transformation of cashew industry

Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, Deputy Director at the Ministry, Dr. Harry Bleppony, noted that Africa needed to move beyond the export of raw cashew nuts and capture a greater share of the value generated by the industry.

He said cashew had become an important source of rural livelihoods, employment and foreign exchange across the continent.

Africa produces a significant proportion of the world’s cashew nuts but captures a smaller proportion of the value generated from the processing and downstream activities,” Dr. Bleppony said.

He said the situation needed to change, with African countries focusing on productivity, quality, processing and value retention.

Our ambition must be to move from being predominantly producers and exporters of raw cashew nuts to becoming globally competitive producers of high-quality cashew products,” he said.

Dr. Bleppony said Ghana had significant potential to develop its cashew industry, particularly in areas such as Bono East, Ahafo and the Savannah regions.

However, he cautioned that increasing production alone would not be enough.

Our objective is to build a productive, competitive, sustainable, and value-added cashew industry,” he said.

He identified improved planting materials, good agricultural practices, extension services, better harvesting and post-harvest handling, local processing, market development and climate resilience as key areas requiring attention.

Processing as a rural development opportunity

Dr. Bleppony said greater investment in cashew processing could also support rural economic development by creating jobs for women and young people.

Processing should not be viewed only as an industrial activity. It is also a rural transformation opportunity,” he said.

He called for investment in processing facilities, energy and water infrastructure, storage, warehousing, packaging, logistics, quality laboratories, technology and research.

He further urged stronger collaboration among African research institutions, investors, regulators, development partners and industry players.

According to him, the African Cashew Alliance provides an important platform for producing countries to collaborate on research, planting materials, extension, quality standards, pest and disease management, processing technologies, market intelligence and trade.

He also highlighted the African Continental Free Trade Area as an opportunity to expand markets for processed agricultural products and strengthen regional value chains.

From potential to prosperity

Dr. Bleppony said government remained committed to creating an enabling environment for the sustainable development of Ghana’s tree-crop sectors.

He said the government’s focus would increasingly be on productivity, quality, sustainability, value addition and competitiveness.

Africa has the resources, farmers, entrepreneurs, markets, and human capital required to build a globally competitive cashew industry. What we need is stronger coordination, greater investment in technological innovation, and a shared commitment to value addition,” he said.

He urged participants at the three-day conference to translate discussions into concrete actions capable of strengthening Africa’s cashew industry.

Let us use this conference to strengthen the partnership, exchange knowledge, and agree on practical actions that will move Africa’s cashew industry from potential to prosperity,” Dr. Bleppony said.

The facility, he said, will create a reliable market for maize producers while adding value to the crop for both domestic consumption and export.

President Mahama said the initiative was intended to encourage increased production by ensuring farmers have a market for their harvest.

We are going to set up a maize processing plant in the Sissala area. The plant will not only buy the maize, but it will also process the maize for the market and for export, and so I believe that this glut will become a thing of the past,” he said during a citizens’ engagement at the University of Business and Integrated Development Studies on Saturday, September 12.

President Mahama also announced plans to increase funding to the National Food Buffer Stock Company to enable it to purchase more surplus maize.

He said inadequate storage capacity had constrained the company’s ability to absorb excess production and disclosed that silos would be constructed at its storage centres to expand its capacity.

Aside from that, we are increasing the amount of money that we are giving to Buffer Stock to off-take the excess maize,” he added

Central Region pilot targets 18,000+ youth opportunities as nationwide rollout could create over 250,000 — while Ekumfi Fruits & Juices could move from under 20% production to over 80% capacity and take Ghana’s natural fruit juice to the world.

President John Dramani Mahama’s proposed feed the Industries policy seeks to connect large-scale agricultural production directly to domestic processing, providing the raw materials needed to raise factory output, create sustainable employment and support Ghana’s 24-Hour Economy.

The programme is expected to begin with a Central Region pilot targeting more than 18,000 youth employment and enterprise opportunities across farming, aggregation, transportation, processing, packaging, logistics and distribution.

A nationwide rollout could create more than 250,000 opportunities while increasing raw-material supplies to agro-processors and raising factory capacity utilization for domestic and export production.

More than 15,000 acres have reportedly been secured in the Central Region for high-value and industrial crops. The pilot is expected to include the Central Citrus Processing Factory at Asebu and the Youth in High-Value Crop Value Chain Programme covering Ekumfi and other parts of the region.

FEED THE FACTORY BEFORE RUNNING IT 24 HOURS

Feed the Industries seeks to address a major constraint facing Ghana’s agro-processing industry: reliable year-round supplies of raw materials.

Longer factory operating hours under the 24-Hour Economy will require more than additional shifts. Processing plants need adequate inputs, power, transport, storage, financing and markets to sustain increased production.

The more than 15,000 acres identified in the Central Region could provide an initial production base for crops required by processors.

The approach also fits into the wider Feed Ghana Programme, which has selected 22 priority commodity value chains and lists increasing raw-material supplies to agro-industry, value addition and agricultural exports among its objectives.

Under the proposed Value Chain Contracting for Youth model, young people would operate in commercial production clusters linked to established buyers. This would give farmers greater certainty over what to produce and where to sell, while factories gain greater visibility over the quantity and timing of supplies.

EKUMFI: FROM UNDER 20% TO OVER 80% PRODUCTION

Ekumfi Fruits and Juices provide one of the clearest opportunities to demonstrate the industrial impact of the programme.

The factory has capacity to process about 10 tonnes of pineapple, or roughly 10,000 fruits, every hour. At that rate, one hour of processing requires the equivalent of about four acres of harvested pineapple.

The scale of the raw-material requirement becomes clearer when operating hours are extended. Eight hours at the stated capacity would require about 80 tonnes of fruit, while longer shifts would sharply increase demand from surrounding farms.

Feed the Industries could therefore help move Ekumfi from below 20 percent production capacity to more than 80 percent utilization by expanding commercial pineapple cultivation and organizing growers capable of supplying the required volumes.

Higher utilization would also increase demand for farmers, aggregators, transporters, packaging companies, distributors and other businesses linked to the factory.

The connection with the 24-Hour Economy is direct: Ekumfi cannot move towards round-the-clock production unless pineapple cultivation expands sufficiently to keep its processing lines supplied.

REMOVING THE 20% EXCISE DUTY BARRIER

The raw-material intervention is being complemented by the removal of the 20 percent excise-duty burden on locally manufactured natural fruit juices.

The measure could improve the competitive position of domestic processors by reducing the tax burden on finished products while Feed the Industries tackles constraints on the supply side.

For Ekumfi, the combination could be major. More pineapple production would support higher factory utilization, while the tax measure creates additional room to compete with imported beverages and expand distribution.

The policy intervention therefore targets both sides of the production equation: increasing the raw materials entering factories and improving the competitiveness of the products leaving them.

MAKING EKUMFI JUICE AVAILABLE TO GHANA — AND THE WORLD

Moving Ekumfi above 80 percent capacity would create economic activity well beyond the factory floor.

Previous company figures showed more than 1,000 workers, mostly on its farms, and more than 75 professionals at the factory. The company was operating two shifts at the time and planned to increase this to three as production expanded.

At full capacity, earlier projections indicated the plant could produce about 300 million packs of juice annually for domestic and export markets.

The company has also previously identified export markets in the United States, United Kingdom and Dubai, providing an existing international dimension to its expansion plans.

Higher utilization could therefore increase demand for pineapple cultivation, mechanisation, harvesting, aggregation, transportation, packaging, warehousing and distribution while generating additional export earnings.

The production chain is straightforward:

FARM → FACTORY → PROCESSING → PACKAGING → DISTRIBUTION → GHANAIAN CONSUMER → EXPORT MARKET

The opportunity is to convert more Ghanaian agricultural produce into finished goods before they reach domestic and overseas consumers.

CENTRAL CITRUS: ANOTHER INDUSTRIAL TEST

The Central Citrus Processing Factory at Asebu provides another test of the model.

The factory has been reported to have capacity to process more than 15 tonnes of oranges per hour. Together with Ekumfi’s 10-tonne-per-hour pineapple capacity, the two plants represent more than 25 tonnes of headline fruit-processing capacity every hour when operating at their stated rates.

Sustaining those volumes requires more than factory machinery. It requires organized production involving growers, aggregators, transporters and other suppliers capable of delivering fruit consistently.

The Ekumfi and Asebu clusters could therefore demonstrate whether agricultural contracting can translate directly into higher industrial capacity utilization and longer operating hours.

18,000 YOUTH OPPORTUNITIES FROM THE CENTRAL REGION

The Central Region pilot is projected to facilitate more than 18,000 direct and indirect youth employment and enterprise opportunities.

The opportunities extend beyond direct farming and factory employment.

Increasing agricultural output would require nursery operators, irrigation technicians, tractor operators, agronomists, extension officers, harvesting teams, aggregators and transporters.

Higher processing volumes would create further activity in packaging, warehousing, distribution, marketing and exports.

Ekumfi’s earlier employment numbers already illustrate how processing can extend jobs beyond the factory itself, with more than 1,000 workers reported across its operations, most of them on farms.

The employment potential of Feed the Industries will therefore depend heavily on how much additional production can be generated around the factories.

FROM 18,000 TO OVER 250,000 NATIONWIDE

The larger opportunity lies in extending the Central Region model to other agricultural and industrial areas.

A nationwide rollout of Feed the Industries and the Youth in High-Value Crop Value Chain Programme is projected to facilitate more than 250,000 employment and enterprise opportunities.

The wider Feed Ghana Programme already covers 22 priority commodity value chains, providing a broader agricultural base for linking production to domestic processing.

Pineapple, citrus, avocado, coconut, mango, papaya, banana, passion fruit, ginger and oil palm are among crops with potential to support larger processing industries serving Ghanaian and export markets.

The national opportunity therefore goes beyond producing more crops. It lies in processing a greater share of Ghana’s agricultural output locally before it leaves the farm gate.

BUILDING A NATIONAL VALUE-ADDITION CHAIN

The scale of Ekumfi illustrates the difference between primary agricultural production and value addition.

At full capacity, the factory was projected to produce about 300 million packs of juice annually. That means pineapple leaving farms can pass through processing, packaging, branding, transportation and retail before reaching consumers.

Each stage creates additional economic activity that would otherwise be lost if agricultural commodities were sold mainly in their primary form.

The same principle applies to citrus, coconut, mango, oil palm and other crops targeted for commercial expansion.

Feed the Industries could therefore develop beyond an agricultural programme into an industrial supply strategy linking farms directly to manufacturing.

IMPORT SUBSTITUTION AND EXPORTS

Greater agro-processing could also strengthen Ghana’s external sector through import substitution and exports.

Increasing domestic production of fruit juices, processed foods, oils and other products could replace part of the country’s imports where Ghanaian manufacturers can compete on price and quality.

Exports provide the second opportunity. Ekumfi has already identified overseas markets, including the US, UK and Dubai, while its production facilities were designed to serve both local and export demand.

The foreign-exchange effect works in both directions: producing competitive substitutes locally reduces demand for foreign currency to finance imports, while additional exports generate new inflows.

Higher agricultural production alone will therefore not capture the full opportunity. More of the output must reach Ghanaian factories and leave them as higher-value products.

THE REAL-SECTOR MULTIPLIER

The Central Region model brings together more than 15,000 acres earmarked for production, an 18,000-plus youth opportunity target and two major fruit-processing facilities with combined headline capacity exceeding 25 tonnes per hour.

This creates links across agriculture, manufacturing, transport, finance, packaging, distribution and exports.

Farmers supply processors, factories add value, logistics companies move inputs and finished goods, while financial institutions provide working capital and investment financing across the chain.

The national potential of more than 250,000 opportunities will ultimately be tied to the number of commercially viable production chains that can be established around factories and markets.

Feed the Industries could turn Ghana’s agricultural potential into industrial growth by getting more farms to supply factories, raising production and taking more Ghanaian products to domestic and global markets. That is where the 24-Hour Economy can begin to deliver real-sector transformation.