Agriculture
From The Report: Ghana 2019
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Ghana’s agricultural output increased in 2017 and 2018, driven in large part by government
policy and expenditure. According to the Ghana Statistical Service, agriculture grew 5.5% year-on-year in the third quarter of 2018, outpacing general non-oil GDP growth the same year.
Industrialisation and productivity improvement programmes are expected to expand the yields from the agriculture sector, as well as create jobs and encourage greater private sector participation. The country has secured considerable funding from multilateral lending organisations and bilateral national partners to finance its ambitious agricultural agenda over the next few years, ensuring a promising outlook for the sector.

This chapter contains an interview with Joseph Boahen Aidoo, CEO, Ghana Cocoa Board.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Growth spurt: Emphasis on improved inputs and irrigation methods have boosted agricultural production
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The Ghanaian agriculture sector experienced consistent growth between 2014 and 2018. According to the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), agriculture grew by 5.5% year-on-year in the third quarter of 2018, outpacing general non-oil GDP growth the same year. Budget figures show agriculture grew by 6.1% in 2017, more than double the 2.9% in 2016, on the back of significant yield increases and the sector is expected to increase by 7.1% on average through to 2022. In each of the first three quarters…

Interview

Flexible approach: Joseph Boahen Aidoo, CEO, Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), on increased regional cooperation and the development of cashless payment systems
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Interview:Joseph Boahen Aidoo What is COCOBOD doing to bring digital payment systems into operation in the country? JOSEPH BOAHEN AIDOO: Conventionally in Ghana, most licensed companies purchase cocoa from farmers and pay cash. However, this is expensive and fraught with risk. There is a need for an electronic, cashless system that does away with the inefficiencies and opacity of this system. Since 2013 COCOBOD has piloted an e-zwich platform in the Volta Region and Western Region, together…

Analysis

Dietary staple: The sector is working to grow rice production and lessen dependence on imports
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Rice is one of the major food staples consumed in Ghana, but one in which the country is food insecure, with consumption outstripping domestic production and 66% of rice consumed being imported. The economic costs of relying on imported rice are high and rising. Between 2007 and 2015 the amount spent on imported rice rose from $151m to $1.2bn, with domestic consumption supplemented by imports primarily from Thailand, Vietnam and India. In 2017 Ghana produced 721,610 tonnes of rice but consumption,…

Analysis

Distribution lines: Securing the country’s food distribution networks and reducing post-harvest losses remain a priority
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Ghana’s agricultural sector is dominated by small-scale farmers, who make up 80% of the farming population. The reliance on smallholders presents challenges for food distribution because crop output is geographically dispersed across the country’s different ecological zones and results in high levels of post-harvest loss as food is transported from the farm to markets. According to the World Food Programme in its July 2017 “Ghana Zero Hunger Strategic Review”, 40% of the country’s…

Overview

Seeking sustainability: Digital and precision farming practices are poised to bolster global agriculture resiliency – Ghana
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Against a backdrop of increasingly severe and financially straining climate events and natural disasters, technology is poised to play an important role in maintaining and improving global agricultural output. The adoption of digital and precision farming practices has been shown to improve crop resiliency, and boost productivity and incomes, particularly in emerging markets where small-scale farmers are often more vulnerable to climatic impacts. With increasing support from international aid organisations, as well as the public and private sectors, precision farming should help emerging market economies maintain production levels through…