Government has moved to accelerate reforms in the agribusiness sector with the validation of a Draft National Agribusiness and Agro-Processing Policy, a framework aimed at unlocking private investment, expanding value addition, and repositioning agriculture as a commercially driven growth engine.
At a National Agribusiness Policy Validation Workshop in Accra, the Deputy Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Sampson Ahi, said the policy marks a deliberate shift away from subsistence farming toward a business-oriented agribusiness ecosystem anchored in markets, processing, and sustainability.
According to him, the policy is intended to give clear direction to agribusiness development by focusing on the commercial dimensions of farming, trade, and agro-processing, stressing that agriculture must go beyond production to address value addition, markets, and long-term viability.
Ahi urged stakeholders to fast-track the validation process, noting government’s interest in concluding the policy within the shortest possible time. He said although the initial target was to have the policy ready for Cabinet consideration before the end of the year, he would push for it to be presented at the first Cabinet meeting in 2026 if timelines were not met.
Calling for active participation, the Deputy Minister said the success of the policy would depend on the collective input of technical experts, policymakers, and private sector players. He said the government’s objective is to stimulate economic growth through agribusiness-led industrialisation that delivers measurable outcomes.
From the private sector, the Chief Executive Officer of Agri-Impact Group, Mr. Daniel Acquaye, said the draft policy was the product of an extensive stakeholder engagement process that began in July 2025. He said consultations were held at both national and regional levels across Ashanti, Bono, Bono East, Northern, Volta, and Oti regions.
Mr. Acquaye said the process brought together industry players, development partners, academia, policy experts, agribusiness processors, and farmer groups, ensuring that local and grassroots perspectives shaped the policy framework. He said the validation phase was guided by key questions, including whether the policy would provide clear direction, address systemic bottlenecks such as post-harvest losses, unlock investment opportunities, promote inclusivity, and deliver transformative change rather than incremental improvements.
He commended the Ministry, particularly the Sector Minister, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, and the Deputy Minister, for their hands-on leadership and commitment to completing the policy within a realistic timeframe.
Earlier, the Director for Agribusiness at the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Mr. Kwame Oppong-Ntim, said the Ministry considered it critical to develop a single, comprehensive policy to guide agribusiness and agro-processing activities nationwide.
He said the draft policy was developed through extensive national and regional consultations involving both public and private sector stakeholders. He explained that the validation workshop was convened to ensure that regional and national priorities had been fully captured. “The essence of this validation is to scrutinise the draft policy and provide the necessary feedback to make it comprehensive and robust enough to stand the test of time,” he said.
The validation exercise is expected to conclude the stakeholder engagement phase ahead of expert review and submission to Cabinet, a step government believes will lay the foundation for a more coordinated, inclusive, and investment-driven agribusiness sector in Ghana.
The workshop brought together public and private sector stakeholders, development partners, industry associations, and policy experts. Activities included presentations on the policy’s objectives and highlights, thematic breakout discussions, and plenary sessions to consolidate stakeholder input.
