Eagle Lager, Accra Brewery Limited’s (ABL’s) cassava beer brand, has inaugurated a newly constructed furrow irrigation system and a solar powered mechanised borehole for farmers in Gbi Avega, a community within the Hohoe Municipality in the Volta Region. 

In the next few weeks, similar projects will be inaugurated in Paga Kajelo and Huniso in the Upper East and West regions each at a cost of GHC 91,000.  This brings ABL’s total package for this year’s Farmers’ Day celebration to GHC 345,000, comprising of the three irrigation systems together with GHC 40,000 cash and 220 cases of assorted ABL brands for the National celebrations.

The irrigation systems initiative is the Eagle brand’s contribution to ensuring that farming activities in these areas are sustained. It further forms part  of ABL’s objective to help create a productive world where land is used responsibly, food supply is secure, biodiversity is protected and our crops can be accessed at reasonable prices.  ABL believes that if it achieves these objectives it will at the same time improve the livelihoods of rural farmers.

Speaking at the handing over ceremony at Gbi Avega, the Volta Regional Minister, Madam Helen Ntoso commended the company for the innovative initiative which will go a long way to ensure food security and further reduce poverty among over 200 households.

Madam Ntoso noted that “Gbi Avega is a farming community that has a population of about 1000 people with about 200 households who are mainly maize and cassava farmers. This project will offer an alternative to rain-fed agriculture, thereby enabling the farmers to cultivate their crops during the dry season”. 

Jerry Gokah, a Senior Brands Manager of Accra Brewery Limited, noted that “sustainable development is a key ambition of the company and we believe that we can improve food security for small-scale farmers who supply us by helping them increase their incomes and food production.  In line with this, Eagle Lager is being developed as a ‘brand with a purpose’ to “grow farming economies” through agro-based and social intervention programmes.  

“Riding on and consolidating the success of Eagle Lager and the business as a whole last year is a commitment to bring to life the business/brand strategy through the vision and determination of teams working together across the business. Part of that brand strategy is to bring our sustainable development agenda to life which is to ensure the brand’s sustainability.  The successful execution of the Eagle Farmer Project in 2015 changed perceptions, brought the business closer to local communities and created an affection and affinity between consumers and the brand”, Mr Gokah added.

Mr. Gokah noted that the Volta Region was chosen as the launchpad for this year’s Eagle farmer initiative because the region supplies the cassava that is used to brew Eagle Lager.

The introduction of the Eagle Lager cassava beer brand by Ghana’s premier brewery in March 2013 has created a significant number of direct and indirect sources of employment for cassava farmers and others along the value chain.