Minister for Food and Agriculture has announced a €154 million investment by the Government of Italy in partnership with BF International, aimed at transforming large-scale commercial agriculture in Ghana.
Under this initiative, a 10,000-hectare irrigated model farm will be developed for the production of rice, maize, soya, and tomato on an all-year-round basis.
As part of the project, CIHEAM Bari, an agency of the Italian Government, will collaborate with the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI) of the University of Ghana to establish a national seed bank, while partnering with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to implement a comprehensive soil testing and suitability programme.
He announced this at the Government Accountability Series in Accra on Monday, November 24.
To accelerate the transformation of Ghana’s agricultural sector, ensure food security, create sustainable employment, and enhance economic growth by reducing import dependency while boosting domestic production and export, the Mahaam administration introduced the Feed Ghana Programme.
The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, has announced key developments under the programme in the past nine months under the Mahama administration.
They include the construction of 10 new small dams, rehabilitation of 8 existing irrigation dams, 250 solar-powered boreholes for farming communities and second-cycle schools across the five regions of the north, Bono and Ahafo regions. Rehabilitating the following Irrigation Schemes is ongoing, Vea Irrigation Scheme in the Bolgatanga and Bongo districts of Upper East Region. Land Size: 850 hectares, Weta Irrigation Scheme in Ketu-North Municipal of the Volta Region. Land Size: 880 hectares.
The others are Tanoso Irrigation Scheme in Techiman Municipal of the Bono East Region. Land size: 100 hectares, Kpong Irrigation Scheme in Shai Osudoku and Lower Manya districts in the Greater Accra and Eastern regions. Land size: 930 hectares, Ashaiman Irrigation Scheme in Greater Accra. Land Size: 200 hectares, Aveyime Irrigation Scheme in the Volta Region. Land Size: 245 hectares, 25 solar-powered boreholes 15 have been completed and the remaining 10 will be completed in the first quarter of 2026, 44 solar-powered boreholes for selected districts in the northern part of the country.
