Ghanaian farmers and agriculture stakeholders have received firm assurances of support from Mahamudu Bawumia, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential candidate if he is elected.
During his national campaign tour in Kejeji, Sene East of the Bono East region, Bawumia’s running mate, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, outlined the NPP’s plans to enhance the agribusiness sector and boost its role in national development.
Dr. Opoku Prempeh, widely known as ‘Napo,’ emphasized the significant opportunities for job creation and sector expansion through advancements in food security, food exports, and AgriTech.
He assured that under a Bawumia presidency, the NPP plans substantial agricultural investments and agricultural reforms, including agricultural research, food production, preservation, and value addition.
“We see significant potential for expanding agribusiness and creating thousands of new jobs.
That’s why we plan to invest heavily in agricultural research and development and leverage advancements in digital and artificial intelligence technologies to improve food production and distribution,” Dr Prempeh said.
The NPP’s strategic approach includes creating agricultural enclaves tailored to each region’s competitive advantages.
These enclaves will be developed in collaboration with the private sector to stimulate local agribusinesses and capitalize on each region’s unique agricultural strengths.
In addition to building physical infrastructure, the NPP aims to redirect the Development Bank Ghana (DBG) to expand its financing and guarantee lines.
This includes setting up a proposed SME Bank to support manufacturing value-added agricultural products and processing and packaging essential foods.
“We will focus on strategic investments in agricultural research to improve production efficiency, reduce post-harvest losses, and enhance packaging for better freshness and longer shelf life.
We will also address challenges in arid conditions and support agricultural mechanization,” Dr. Prempeh noted.
Furthermore, the NPP plans to accelerate agro-industry growth by providing financing and guarantees through DBG and the Ghana Incentive-Based Risk-Share System for Agricultural Lending (GIRSAL).
“This support will be directed towards manufacturing value-added agricultural products and the processing and packaging of basic foods consumed widely in Ghana,” Dr. Prempeh added.
