Agrihouse Foundation launches project to promote horticulture, inclusive agribusiness in Northern Ghana
AGRIHOUSE Foundation, with support from AGRA and the Mastercard Foundation under the Youth Entrepreneurship for the Future of Food and Agriculture (YEFFA) Programme, has launched the ‘Boost-To-Bloom’ project to unlock the commercial potential tomatoes, pepper, and onions in the five northern regions of Ghana, particularly Upper East, Upper West, Savannah Region, North East, and Northern Region.
At its core, the initiative aims to create a pipeline of 20,000 skilled, business-minded youth including young women and persons with disabilities – between 2025 and 2028.
These beneficiaries receive targeted training, coaching, and start-up support to establish agribusinesses that span production, processing, and input distribution.
“We are not just growing vegetables. We are growing the next generation of agri-entrepreneurs who can compete, add value, and transform communities,” Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa, Executive Director of Agrihouse Foundation said.
On why Horticulture, Ms Akosa said youth unemployment remained a pressing challenge in Ghana’s northern belt, where agriculture remained the mainstay of rural livelihoods but offered limited economic mobility due to fragmentation, market barriers, and post-harvest losses.
“At the same time, Ghana’s vegetable value chains present untapped growth potential particularly in processed products like tomato paste, dried onions, and pepper powder,” she said.
The Boost-To-Bloom Project, she said “responds to this opportunity with a comprehensive agribusiness roadmap that goes beyond production to address market access, input supply, and financial literacy, with an eye on both domestic and export markets.”
“The project places a deliberate focus on young women and persons with disabilities, recognizing the systemic barriers they face in accessing land, finance, and leadership opportunities,” Ms Akosa said.
Through regional bootcamps and agribusiness hubs,she said beneficiaries would be supported to launch enterprises across the horticulture value chain operate input dealerships and service centers among others.
This approach, she said aligned with AGRA’s commitment to inclusive agricultural transformation, ensuring that no demographic was left behind as Ghana’s agri-food economy evolves.
A unique feature of the initiative is the formation of Boost-To-Bloom Project Networks – localized agribusiness clusters that promote shared infrastructure, collective bargaining, and market linkages.
These networks will connect beneficiaries to buyers, exporters, processors, and public-private partners.
“We are focused on building systems, not silos. Through these networks, we are connecting youth-led businesses to markets, finance, and policymaking spaces,” Dr Betty Annan, Country Director, AGRA Ghana said.
Additionally, he said the project would strengthen cross-regional peer learning, facilitate access to transport and storage facilities, and enable shared use of processing equipment to reduce cost and improve competitiveness.
In line with Ghana’s ambition to expand non-traditional exports and reduce reliance on raw commodity trade, Boost-To-Bloom project is embedding value addition as a core principle.
Training modules will include food safety, product packaging, and branding, equipping youth with the capacity to produce shelf-ready products for supermarkets and international buyers.
AGRA’s involvement ensures that the initiative is also connected to national and regional policy dialogues, offering evidence that can inform inclusive agribusiness development strategies across the continent.
BY TIMES REPORTER
