World Bank support for agricultural productivity laudable
The World Bank’s proposed $1 billion injection into Ghana’s Large-Scale Agriculture Programme (LAP) could not have come at a more critical time.
As food prices rise, unemployment persists, and the country spends billions of dollars annually on food imports, the renewed focus on commercial agriculture offers a rare opportunity to tackle multiple national challenges with a single, well-coordinated intervention.
Agriculture has long been acknowledged as the backbone of Ghana’s economy, yet its full potential remains largely untapped.
Despite abundant arable land, reliable water bodies and favourable climatic conditions, productivity levels are low, irrigation coverage is limited, and farming is still dominated by smallholder, rain-fed practices.
The World Bank’s planned support, with its emphasis on irrigation, economic crops, rural infrastructure, export growth and investment reforms, directly addresses these structural weaknesses.
The visit by the World Bank Country Director, Robert Taliercio, and the Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, to the Kpong Irrigation Scheme last Friday is symbolic and instructive.
Kpong demonstrates what is possible when infrastructure, private capital and policy coherence align.
Companies such as Golden Exotics Limited, employing about 4,000 workers and exporting the bulk of its produce, show that agriculture can be modern, profitable and employment-intensive.
Scaling up such success stories should be at the heart of Ghana’s agricultural transformation agenda.
The Ghanaian Times aligns with Dr Forson’s emphasis on private-sector-led growth as it is both pragmatic and necessary.
Government alone cannot generate the scale of jobs required to absorb Ghana’s growing youth population.
We cannot over-emphasise the fact that commercial farming and agribusiness, when properly structured, can create employment along entire value chains, from production and processing to logistics and exports.
The proposed agriculture compact, targeting oil palm, cocoa rehabilitation, rice, maize, soya and poultry, is therefore a step in the right direction, particularly if it prioritises productivity, value addition and market access.
However, the promise of $1 billion must be matched with discipline, transparency and inclusiveness.
Large-scale agriculture should not become synonymous with land dispossession, environmental degradation or the marginalisation of smallholder farmers.
Instead, deliberate efforts must be made to integrate out-grower schemes, protect land rights, and promote sustainable practices.
Irrigation expansion, including the proposed second phase of the Kpong project, must be accompanied by sound water management and climate-resilient strategies.
Also important is the government’s intention to use state purchasing power to support local producers.
Prioritising locally produced food for the school feeding programme and strengthening the Buffer Stock Company to mop up surplus produce can provide farmers with guaranteed markets, stabilise prices and reduce post-harvest losses.
In our view, these measures, if well implemented, will boost farmer confidence and encourage increased production.
Ultimately, the World Bank’s readiness to “do much more” with Ghana is an endorsement of the country’s agricultural potential, but potential alone does not deliver results.
Success will depend on swift finalisation of funding arrangements, effective coordination among ministries and agencies, and a relentless focus on outcomes rather than announcements.
Ghana has the land, the water and the human capital to feed itself, export competitively and create decent jobs.
The challenge now is to turn this major financial commitment into lasting prosperity for farmers, agribusinesses and the wider economy.
If managed wisely, the $1 billion boost to commercial agriculture could mark a defining moment in Ghana’s development journey; one where agriculture finally assumes its rightful place as a driver of growth, jobs and food security.
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