The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) and the Ministry of Local Governance and Rural Development (MLGRD) are proud to announce the launch of a GHC 2.5 million pilot support to women’s farmer-based organizations (WFBOs) that are engaged in post-production agricultural operations in Ghana.

This support from Global Affairs Canada’s (GAC) Modernizing Agriculture in Ghana (MAG) program aims to strengthen the capacities of the WFBOs to make their products more competitive and attractive for local and export markets.

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In the Bono East Region, the signing of the MOU was done by the Regional Director of Agriculture Cecilia Kagya-Agyemang on behalf of the Chief Director of MOFA.

This support is in line with Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP), which seeks to empower women to eradicate poverty and build a more peaceful, more inclusive and more prosperous world. 

Working with Ghana’s Women in Agriculture Development (WIAD) Directorate of MoFA as well as with decentralized departments of agriculture throughout the country, the support will foster women’s competitiveness in providing good quality value-added products to local and foreign customers. 

The initiative will contribute to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Ghana Government’s Investment for Food and Jobs (IFJ)objectives.

Activities to be supported include; purchasing and installation of agro-processing equipment, along with capacity building on operation and maintenance of the machinery, as well as coaching by TBI on marketing techniques to ensure appropriate market linkages. 

Expected results from this intervention include an improved ability of WFBOs to efficiently add value to their products and to reduce their post-harvest losses. 

The pilot initiative is also expected to improve the incomes of WFBOs members as well as the economic status of their households.

The increased contributions of women to household incomes are, in turn, expected to provide increased opportunity for women to participate in decision-making at the household and community levels. 

The GHC 2,500,000 allocated by Global Affairs Canada for the pilot will support forty-eight (48) competitively-selected WFBOs from the 16 regions of Ghana. 

This Pilot Program is being launched today to kick-start its implementation. In all, applications of thirty-two (32) WFBOs from the sixteen (16) regions were approved for this pilot.

As part of this launch, MoFA will sign an Agreement with GRATIS, an Agency under the Ministry of Trade and Industries (MoTI), to fabricate the equipment/machinery required by the beneficiary WFBOs, deliver and install them for use by the women groups.

Selection of the equipment was based on on-site needs assessment conducted by GRATIS at the request of MoFA; and as part of this Agreement, GRATIS will provide after-sales service. 

MoFAwill also sign an MoU with leaders of the three (3) beneficiary WFBOs from Greater Accra Region.

Beneficiary WFBOs in the regions will also sign similar agreements with Regional Directors of Agriculture.

Global Affairs Canada is committed to building a more modern, equitable, and sustainable agriculture sector that contributes to food security and women’s economic empowerment in Ghana.