The Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) has promised farmers easy access to financing of Agri-business for improved agricultural production in the country come next year.

The bank says there are restrictions that inhibit farmers from accessing financial resources with ease are being removed to ensure that the critical needs of farmers are catered for. 

According to ADB, the move is to help reduce the burden on farmers in their bid to access resources to expand their farming businesses.

Speaking at the 12^th cocktail organised by the ADB for farmers in Cape Coast ahead of the farmers day event on Friday, the General manager of ADB in charge of Agri-business, Kwame Asiedu Attrams indicated the bank’s products and services in 2022 for farmers would speak to their specific concerns and address their critical needs.

Mr. Asiedu Attrams is convinced ADB’s innovations would enable them find ways that would contribute to better yields and better access to financing by farmers.

“What is critical to farmers, I believe, is the ability to access funds to help expand their businesses. We are coming out with products and services that speak to specific needs and concerns of the farmers. And this is to enable them access good concessionary price funding to expand their businesses,” he promised.

He expressed worry about the import-driven nature of Ghana’s economy and assured the bank was doing a lot to ensure that there would be increased production in the agricultural sector that would reduce the imports.

He stated: "There’s not much that we import that we cannot produce locally. Increasing our production base would help to cut back on the foreign exchange we use in the imports. We shall change the narrative.”

Agric Minister, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto has also lauded farmers for responding positively to government’s agricultural policies. 

He urged the farmers to continue to offer support to government’s policies in order to shore up the production sector of the economy.

“In many places, the government has to be on its knees begging farmers to come and join, you didn’t. You just spontaneously responded to the opportunities that we’ve given and the transformation of the agriculture in Ghana is taking place because of you,” he lauded the farmers.

He further assured them of government’s support for farmers to make Agric one of the most viable enterprises in Ghana.

Central Regional Minister, Justina Marigold Assan, also extoled the farmers for their contributions and urged the youth to go into farming. 

The minister congratulated the farmers for being supportive of government. She indicated the president was proud of them relative to what they have achieved for the people.

“For the many mouths you continue to feed, we say 'ayekoo'. We pray for strength for you to be able to continue to contribute your quota to Ghana,” she said. 

The dinner sponsored by the Agricultural Development Bank is to celebrate the farmers and precedes the ADB Agric forum that’s organized on the eve of the Farmers’ Day celebration on Friday.

The ADB again affirmed their commitment to honour their promise of giving the cedi equivalent of $100,000 to the 2021 National Best Farmer.