Government’s agricultural programmes could provide a foundation for expanding Ghana’s green economy by improving access to irrigation, modern production systems, inputs, machinery and markets for horticultural producers, Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has said.
She said programmes such as Feed Ghana and the establishment of Farmer Service Centres could help move horticulture beyond small-scale production by giving producers access to the services and market connections needed to build sustainable businesses.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang was speaking at the opening of the 14th edition of the Ghana Garden and Flower Show, where she said the horticulture industry should be viewed not only through the beauty of gardens and flowers but also through the economic activity and livelihoods created around them.
“When we think about gardens and flowers, we naturally think first about beauty. That is right, of course. But these exhibition booths show that a whole economy surrounds that beauty,” she said.
According to the Vice President, that economy includes growers, skills, services, markets and livelihoods, with significant scope to develop more enterprises capable of employing people, supplying larger markets and competing internationally.
Feed Ghana offers a platform
She said government’s agricultural programmes provide opportunities on which the horticulture sector can build.
Under the Feed Ghana programme, vegetables have been identified among the priority crops, while support for irrigation, improved inputs and greenhouse production could help increase productivity and strengthen the sector’s commercial potential.
“Under the Feed Ghana programme, vegetables are among priority crops, but with support for irrigation, improved inputs, greenhouse production, and better access to markets, we can do even more,” she said.
The emphasis on irrigation and greenhouse production is particularly important for a sector whose commercial prospects depend on consistent production and quality.
For producers, improved access to these systems could help reduce some of the constraints associated with seasonal production while creating the capacity to supply more reliable volumes to domestic and export markets.
Farmer Service Centres to connect producers to markets
The planned Farmer Service Centres could also become an important link between government agricultural support and the development of commercially viable green businesses.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang said the centres are intended to bring services closer to producers, including access to export support, inputs, machinery and market linkages.
That infrastructure could help address one of the major challenges facing horticulture: the gap between production and the market.
“Horticulture is demanding because much of what it produces sometimes is perishable,” she said.
She therefore stressed the importance of reliable transport, storage, quality standards and access to markets, noting that value could be quickly lost when these systems are weak.
The message is that increasing production alone will not be enough to build a competitive horticulture industry. Producers also need the infrastructure, finance and market connections that allow them to preserve the value of what they grow.
Building the green economy beyond production
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang said Ghana needed to think beyond production and develop the wider businesses and services that surround horticulture.
These include businesses providing irrigation, greenhouse technology, landscaping, storage, transport, garden maintenance and other services required to move products from farms into markets.
She said there was already an appetite for investment and export growth, with organisations working with horticultural businesses to strengthen value chains and identify products capable of competing in international markets.
The Vice President pointed to Kenya as an example of what could be achieved, saying Ghana could do the same, if not more.
For Ghanaian producers, the opportunity is therefore to use the support and infrastructure emerging from agricultural programmes to build businesses that can serve larger markets rather than remain at subsistence or small-scale levels.
Green agenda meets agriculture
The agricultural push also dovetails with government’s wider environmental agenda.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang said the Tree for Life initiative, launched by President John Dramani Mahama, was supporting the planting of millions of seedlings, while assemblies were being encouraged to work with parks and gardens to improve and maintain green spaces in towns and cities.
This creates a link between agricultural production, environmental restoration and the growing demand for greener urban spaces.
As cities expand, demand for trees, plants, landscaping and garden development could provide additional markets for nurseries, growers and horticultural service providers.
That means the green economy does not have to be confined to environmental projects. It can also become a commercial ecosystem connecting farmers, entrepreneurs, technology providers, property developers and consumers.
Opportunity for young entrepreneurs
The Vice President said the sector could be particularly relevant to young people because horticulture brings together agriculture, technology, creativity and enterprise.
“The opportunity is not only to encourage young people to grow more, but also to help them to see the businesses they can build around their produce,” she said.
That could open opportunities beyond farming itself, including greenhouse operations, nursery businesses, landscaping, irrigation, distribution, processing and marketing.
For government, the challenge will be to ensure that agricultural programmes translate into commercially sustainable enterprises by connecting production support with finance, infrastructure, skills and reliable markets.
The broader opportunity is to turn Ghana’s agricultural and environmental programmes into building blocks for a green economy in which increased production creates businesses, jobs and export opportunities.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang said Ghana should build on the foundations already being created, ensuring that the country’s push for greener development also strengthens local enterprises and value chains.
