President John Mahama has reaffirmed his government’s commitment to making agriculture, particularly horticulture, a core driver of Ghana’s economic transformation.

Speaking at the Ghana Horticulture Expo 2025, the President called for urgent attention to the sector and announced a series of concrete policy actions to support farmers and reduce import dependence.

“Agriculture, especially horticulture, is not an afterthought,” President Mahama said. “It is central to our vision of national economic transformation and reconstruction.”

He drew attention to the efforts of ordinary farmers across the country and the many challenges they continue to face.

“If you’ve come across this country from Keta to Komenda, from Techiman to Tamale, you would’ve seen the silent labour of our farmers’ cooperatives, our mothers hunched on tomato beds, and young people innovating with very little support,” he said. “Yet many cannot access cold storage or find a fair market. And a single failed season can erase years of efforts.”

According to the President, this is not merely a technical problem but a national ethical concern. “This is not merely a technical challenge; it is a moral imperative. And we must ask ourselves, can a nation prosper if the very hands that feed it remain its most neglected? Our answer today through this expo is a resounding no.”

To address these challenges, President Mahama announced the renewal of his administration’s flagship agricultural initiative: Feed Ghana, which will run from 2025 to 2028.

“In line with this renewed commitment, I am pleased to reaffirm my government’s flagship programme, Feed Ghana, from 2025 to 2028, which operationalises the broader agriculture for economic transformation agenda,” he said. “Feed Ghana is our bold response to rural unemployment, food insecurity, and overdependence on imports.”

He said for the horticulture sector specifically, the programme would include a number of strategic interventions. These include the Vegetable Development Project, dubbed Yeridua (“We are planting”), which aims to scale up greenhouse farming and institutional competitive cultivation. In addition, Smart Agriculture and Farmer Support Centres will be established to provide mechanisation services, irrigation, climate-smart advisory, and digital extension services.

The government will also develop agri-industrial zones and expand cold chain infrastructure to reduce post-harvest losses and improve Ghana’s export capacity. Finally, Agribusiness Youth Clinics will be launched to equip young people with skills, capital, and mentorship needed for success in agribusiness.

“These interventions are not promises,” President Mahama said. “They are policy realities designed to make Ghana’s horticulture investment-ready, inclusive, and globally competitive.”

The President also linked the agricultural agenda to a broader national initiative to boost productivity. “We are also implementing a game-changing strategy the 24-hour economy initiative to unlock Ghana’s productive potential across all sectors,” he said.

“And I am pleased to say that on July 1st, the 24-hour economy policy will be ready to go into operation.”