For many, agriculture in Ghana is seen as a struggling sector. But for former Cadbury/Kraft/Mondelez International Managing Director, Mr. James Boateng, it has been a source of remarkable success - so much so that within a year of leaving the corporate world, he made $1 million from selling mangoes.

Here's his full off-the-cuff speech.

Speaking at the second edition of the Ɔdadeɛ National Dialogue held at the Ecobank Head Office in Accra under the theme "Conversations Under the Baobab Tree," Mr. Boateng shared how a 100-acre mango farm transformed his financial outlook.

“In terms of food, and I love to talk about mango, because when I left corporate, barely a year later, I sold mangoes and made $1 million,” he revealed, drawing audible gasps from the audience. “I quietly made $1 million by selling mangoes from 100 acres. So who says agriculture is not profitable?”

Mr. Boateng, a respected corporate leader turned full-time farmer, delivered a passionate call for a more holistic approach to agriculture in Ghana. His testimony challenges long-held perceptions that farming is a poor man’s venture.

“Of course, I saw much more than that when I was heading corporate,” he added, “but it wasn’t my money. This was my money.”

Mr. Boateng now owns one of Ghana’s most diversified agribusiness portfolios, with more than 1,200 acres of cultivated land across mango, cashew, cocoa, orange, teak, oil palm, and cassava - alongside large livestock, fish and snail farms. He was named Ghana’s Best Farmer in 2018.

Despite Ghana exporting only $60 million worth of mangoes annually, Mr. Boateng sees massive potential.

“La Côte d’Ivoire sells up to $1 billion of mangoes every year. Ghana? Just around $60 million. That gap is an opportunity,” he emphasized.

He urged policymakers to reduce bureaucratic hurdles that hinder export, citing his own experience with delays due to certification requirements and overlapping regulatory demands.

“Marks and Spencer sent two procurement officers to my farm. They wanted to buy immediately, but I couldn’t meet the export requirements fast enough. We’re missing opportunities.”

Mr Boateng’s story is a powerful testament to the potential of agriculture not just to feed a nation, but to build wealth.