Ghana has long invested heavily in agriculture, from fertilizer programmes and extension services to youth-focused initiatives and the new Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) Phase II. Yet outside the formal policy space, a private-sector event has quietly become one of the country’s most impactful platforms for farmers: the Citi FM/Channel One TV Agric Fair.
The fair has evolved into a rare meeting point where Ghana’s agricultural value chain becomes visible and practical. Farmers, processors, input dealers, agribusinesses and consumers interact directly, stripping away the layers of bureaucracy and middlemen that often inflate food prices. For many urban shoppers, it is one of the few places where they can buy food straight from the producers. For young agripreneurs, it is a stage to showcase innovation. For livestock and aquaculture producers, it is a direct channel to buyers.
This is precisely why the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) should take a strategic interest, not to control or politicize the fair, but to scale what is already working. The event has demonstrated a clear ability to address a chronic challenge: connecting farmers to reliable markets.
Across the country, farmers face post-harvest losses, inconsistent pricing and unpredictable demand. Many harvest more than they can sell, while consumers in cities complain about rising food prices. The fair bridges this gap efficiently, placing producers and buyers in the same space. By cutting out unnecessary intermediaries, farmers secure better earnings and consumers pay less. The result is a straightforward public good.
What the government needs to do is not reinvention but expansion. A proven model exists; the task now is to replicate it nationwide. Regional editions could unlock even greater economic impact. A Tamale fair could highlight grains and livestock. Western and Central Regions could showcase fish, poultry and vegetables. Bono could feature plantain and cassava. Greater Accra could host a frequent, possibly monthly, edition to serve as a stable food basket for the capital.
The fair also carries an educational dimension. Each edition features agric clinics, demonstrations and discussions that benefit first-time farmers, youth in agribusiness and even urban households interested in food production. With coordinated government support, extension officers, research institutions and agric agencies could use the fair as a unified platform to engage the public.
Supporting the Citi FM Agric Fair does not replace government programmes; it complements them. The state already drives production through policy. The fair provides a practical, trusted channel that moves food efficiently to households, processors and retailers.
A structured partnership, through logistics, coordination, regional rollouts and moderate funding, could transform the fair into Ghana’s largest agricultural marketplace. Such support would help stabilize food prices, reduce post-harvest losses and improve farmer incomes nationwide. More importantly, it would help cultivate a public culture where agriculture is not limited to official ceremonies or policy reports but experienced regularly and meaningfully.
The Citi FM Agric Fair has already shown what private initiative can achieve. With deliberate government backing, it could shift from a successful event to a national asset, one capable of reshaping Ghana’s food system and strengthening the country’s agricultural future.
