Ghana receives IFAD financing to help smallholder farmers boost agricultural production and transformation
The Government of the Republic of Ghana and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) have signed a US$36.6 million loan and $10 million grant agreement to finance the Ghana Agricultural Sector Investment Programme (GASIP).
This new programme will link smallholder farmers to agribusinesses to enhance growth by helping them access the assets they need to increase their productivity, competitiveness and incomes. The grant component is intended to promote climate change adaptation under IFAD’s Adaptation for Smallholder Agriculture Programme.
With a total cost of $113 million, the programme is cofinanced with a $7.6 million contribution from the Government of Ghana, a $1.7 million contribution from the participating districts, and a $4.6 million contribution from the beneficiaries themselves.
It is expected that this investment will leverage additional private investment of at least $17.5 million of agricultural loans from financial institutions over the initial six years of implementation. An additional $35 million will be sought from IFAD’s country allocation for the period 2016-2018.
The financing agreement was signed today in Rome by Fifi F. Kwetey, Minister of Food and Agriculture of Ghana, and by Michel Mordasini, Vice President of IFAD.
“In partnership with Ghana, we are bringing together climate change resilience with smart marketing approaches to strengthen each part of the value chain, which in turn ensures more profits for small farmers,” Mordasini said. “Programmes such as these create a favourable environment for smallholder farmers, particularly for women and youth, to engage in profitable agriculture businesses.”
Domestic and regional demand for food and cash crops is high, and agribusinesses are interested in working with smallholder farmers. However, there is the need to build and strengthen these business relationships along the value chains.
The programme will initially concentrate on cassava, yam, maize, sorghum, fruits and vegetables; and will leverage investments in productive infrastructure and facilities for the selected value chains. It will promote modern forms of conservation agriculture and agroforestry systems to enhance productivity, climate resilience and environmental sustainability of production systems.
GASIP will be implemented by a dedicated unit in the Ministry of Food and Agriculture of Ghana and will help 12,000 rural households, particularly women and young people, to improve their economic activities and livelihoods.
Since 1980, IFAD has invested a total of $271.5 million in 17 programmes and projects in Ghana, which have generated a total investment of $780 million, benefiting about 3.5 million rural people.
Source: gnnliberia.com
