Ghana’s agriculture sector is set to play a central role in driving the country’s economic transformation, Dr Godfred Seidu Jasaw, Chairman of Parliament’s Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs Committee, has said.
In an interview, Dr Jasaw, who is also the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Wa East, said the government’s “Agric for Economic Transformation” agenda was designed to improve livelihoods, especially in rural communities where about 72 percent of the population lives.
He said the agenda includes flagship interventions such as the Feed Ghana programme, which is scaling up crop production with a particular focus on cereals like rice and sorghum.
Dr Jasaw noted that government is also strengthening the yam value chain to boost exports, create jobs, and increase foreign exchange earnings.
To support this, he said key infrastructure projects are underway, including the construction of a bridge to ease the movement of agricultural produce between the Volta Region and the northern sector.
He added that oil palm has been identified as a lead crop under the tree-crop development initiative, backed by a GH¢6.9 billion Oil Palm Finance Window and a US$500 million long-term financing facility to revitalise and modernise the industry.
These interventions, Dr Jasaw explained, form part of a broader strategy to shift agriculture from largely subsistence-based activities to a modern, competitive agro-industrial sector capable of driving growth, enhancing food security, and improving livelihoods.
“With the right policies, funding, and institutional support, the agriculture sector can indeed serve as the arrowhead of Ghana’s economic transformation agenda,” he said.
