Minister hails farmers and new innovation era at Farmers Day

Business

8 December, 2025

Minister of Food and Agriculture Eric Opoku hailed Ghana’s farmers and fishers as the backbone of national development during the 41st National Farmers Day ceremony in Ho on Saturday.

Speaking at the event, the minister noted that this year’s celebration is the first under the President’s renewed mandate and the first ever hosted in the Volta Region, a zone renowned for its rich agricultural tradition and vast potential.

Opoku reviewed progress made over the past eleven months, saying the Ministry of Food and Agriculture has built a strong foundation for agricultural transformation guided by science and reinforced by partnerships with research institutions.

He reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to ensuring food and nutrition security across the country and highlighted results from the Feed Ghana programme, including expanded irrigation, increased mechanisation, reforms in seed and fertiliser distribution, livestock development and strengthened value chains.

These interventions, he explained, are enhancing rural livelihoods, boosting productivity and creating opportunities for women and youth in agriculture.

“We celebrate you today, and we will continue to invest in your progress,” Opoku said.

The minister thanked private‑sector partners such as the Agricultural Development Bank, HFC Bank, Stanbic Bank, Climate General, AGRA, Development Bank Ghana, BOM Agro, AMG Ghana, Sino Machinery, BEPT Agro and High Farm Agro‑Machinery Limited for their sponsorships, insurance packages and value‑chain investments, calling their support a strong vote of confidence in the sector.

He highlighted RICO’s Family Day Insurance package as a vital risk‑mitigation layer for farmers and praised the Agri‑House Foundation for organising the National Agricultural Fair, noting that the partnership enabled a five‑day fair to be held at no cost to the state.

Opoku also unveiled a two‑day Innovation, Research and Development Session that gave universities and research institutions a national platform to showcase scientific breakthroughs. Participants included the University of Ghana, KNUST, UDS, UCC, UENR, CSIR and the African Agribusiness Consortium of the JACFA Group, presenting innovations in crop science, mechanisation and irrigation that have long been under‑utilised by farmers.

He said the session marked a new chapter, moving research from laboratories into the hands of growers, and announced the establishment of a Government Research Fund to accelerate the transfer of innovations to the field.

Opoku reaffirmed Ghana’s immense agricultural potential and urged continued national and corporate commitment, arguing that investment in agriculture can yield exponential returns in food security, job creation, industrialisation and economic resilience, positioning Ghana as the future food hub of Africa.

He commended the National Farmers Day Planning Committee, regional coordinating councils, district agricultural departments, private‑sector partners and all agencies under the ministry for delivering what he described as the “biggest celebration ever” at the lowest cost to the state.

Farmer groups including the National Farmers and Fishermen Award Winners Association, the Ghana Association of Female Agricultural and Fish Farming Award Winners and the National Association of Farmers and Fishermen delivered solidarity messages, urging sustained support to realise the theme “Feed Ghana, Eat Ghana, and Secure the Future.”