Ghana’s farmlands may soon feed the Middle East, as Qatar pledges a $1.5 billion investment in food production by November 2025.
Food and Agriculture Minister, Eric Opoku, revealed the landmark deal at a media briefing in Accra, describing it as a game-changer that will transform farming from a subsistence activity into a thriving agribusiness venture.
“$1.5 billion is going into food production. You know Qatar does not have the land to produce the food to feed its population. Now what they want to do with us is that they will make the funds available, they will secure land, irrigate the land, allocate the land to the farmers to produce the food and then they will buy the food and export to Qatar,” Mr. Opoku explained.
The agreement, he said, will provide irrigated farmlands for large-scale cultivation, with Qatari investors purchasing the harvest for export. Beyond food security for Qatar, the initiative is expected to create over 2,500 direct jobs while strengthening Ghana’s agricultural value chain and export capacity.
“Under that arrangement agriculture will be agribusiness. It will be a money-making venture and everybody will be interested in doing that. In fact we are done with them and the assurance is that their German technical people will be in the country to start with the implementation right from November, December,” the Minister added.
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Analysts say the deal, which combines investment, irrigation, and guaranteed markets, could position Ghana as a regional hub for commercial food production, if effectively implemented.
