Guinness Ghana PLC and the German development agency GIZ have committed GH₵31.6 million to transform Ghana’s sorghum value chain, with a major investment aimed at boosting local sourcing, improving climate resilience and increasing incomes for thousands of smallholder farmers in northern Ghana.
The two organisations formalised the partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), marking one of the largest private sector investments in agricultural sourcing in the country’s northern belt.
The initiative is expected to directly benefit about 30,000 smallholder sorghum farmers and 40 aggregators across the Northern, Savannah, Upper West, Upper East and North-East regions.
Beyond farmers, the programme will also support input suppliers, mechanisation service providers and logistics operators to strengthen the production and supply of sorghum used by Guinness Ghana in the manufacture of Malta Guinness.
According to a statement issued by Noni Hub, an Information and Communication Technology (ICT)-based non-governmental organisation in Wa, the investment builds on Guinness Ghana’s Local Raw Material (LRM) programme launched in 2012 to increase the use of locally sourced agricultural inputs, reduce import dependence and create sustainable market opportunities for Ghanaian farmers.
As part of the intervention, beneficiary farmers will receive certified, high-quality sorghum seeds to improve crop yields and grain quality.
The programme will also introduce digital technologies, including weather stations, drones and traceability systems, to improve climate monitoring, enhance supply chain transparency and support compliance with international sustainability standards.
Farmers and aggregators will further benefit from capacity-building programmes covering quality management, post-harvest loss reduction, financial literacy, access to finance, regenerative agriculture and dynamic agroforestry to improve productivity and strengthen resilience against climate change.
Mr. Frederic Feraille, Managing Director of Guinness Ghana PLC, said expanding the use of locally sourced raw materials remained a core pillar of the company’s long-term business strategy.
“Since we began our Local Raw Material journey in 2012, we have worked to bring more of our supply chain home, creating jobs, building skills and giving Ghanaian farmers a reliable market for their grain,” he said.
He noted that the partnership with GIZ would deepen those efforts by ensuring that the sorghum used in Malta Guinness is produced sustainably, fully traceable and cultivated by farmers equipped with the knowledge and tools to adapt to changing climatic conditions.
Mr. Wilhelm Hugo, Cluster Coordinator of the NIED Cluster at GIZ, said sustainable economic growth depends on creating stronger market linkages for smallholder farmers while equipping them with modern technologies and skills to improve productivity.
He described the initiative as a significant investment in climate-smart agriculture and sustainable local supply chains that would create employment opportunities and improve livelihoods across northern Ghana.
According to the statement, the collaboration reflects the shared commitment of Guinness Ghana and GIZ to promoting sustainable agricultural development through partnerships between the private sector and development institutions.
The partners said combining private investment with development cooperation would strengthen Ghana’s sorghum value chain, expand economic opportunities and improve the livelihoods of farming communities, particularly women and young people in northern Ghana.
The initiative is also expected to reinforce Ghana’s drive towards greater agricultural industrialisation by increasing local raw material sourcing while supporting inclusive and climate-resilient economic growth.
