A government-backed post-pandemic credit initiative is producing measurable results in Ghana’s agribusiness sector, with one Ada West firm using a GH¢300,000 facility to expand its workforce, triple its network of smallholder farmers, and shift from seasonal to year-round food production.
Young Wealth Investments, founded in April 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, accessed the funding through the Post-COVID-19 Skills Development and Productivity Enhancement Project (PSDPEP), a US$31.34 million initiative backed by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and implemented through government agencies including the Social Investment Fund (SIF). The project targets micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) affected by the pandemic, offering low-interest credit alongside training and operational support across key sectors including agribusiness, manufacturing, and hospitality.
The financing enabled Young Wealth Investments to acquire farmland, install irrigation systems, and develop water infrastructure in the Ada West District of the Greater Accra Region, transitioning the firm from rain-fed agriculture to year-round production. The shift has stabilised output and reduced the firm’s exposure to climate-related disruptions.
The company has since diversified its crop portfolio to include tomatoes and dry-season watermelon while maintaining salt production operations, a model that takes strategic advantage of the seasonal dynamics of the Ada area, where dry conditions support salt harvesting and wetter periods favour crop cultivation. Value addition has become an increasingly central focus, with the firm processing tomatoes, pepper, and plantain, as well as minimally refined natural sea salt, to capture higher margins and reduce vulnerability to raw commodity price swings.
On the salt side, investments in groundwater extraction and expanded mining platforms have shortened crystallisation cycles and increased output volumes. The company also aggregates production from micro and small-scale salt miners in the area, improving supply stability and market access for smaller operators.
The out-grower scheme has grown significantly, expanding from 15 to 43 smallholder farmers who receive input support and supply into the company’s value chain, generating broader rural income gains alongside production growth.
Despite the progress, price volatility continues to compress margins, with the company occasionally selling at cost to service loan repayments. To address this, the firm is planning investment in cold storage and processing infrastructure to reduce post-harvest losses, with a longer-term ambition to establish a warehouse and processing facility.
PSDPEP, which is funded by AfDB and co-financed by the Government of Ghana, is designed to benefit at least 24,800 direct beneficiaries and approximately 50,000 indirectly, with 60 percent of its financing classified as climate adaptation support. The project’s microcredit component has been disbursing funds through participating financial institutions across seven regions.
