Modernizing Agriculture in Ghana

The project provides direct funding to the Government of Ghana to improve food security and make the agriculture sector more modern equitable and sustainable. The project seeks to implement a comprehensive market-oriented approach to farming and to strengthen and modernize agricultural extension services. The project covers the entire country at the national regional and district levels and is expected to benefit 2.8 million farm households including many female farmers. Project activities include: (1) delivering agricultural extension services and market-oriented training to farm households with a particular focus on providing information linked to improved cultural practices and the appropriate use of fertilizers pesticides tools and machinery; (2) equipping District Agricultural Departments and Regional Agricultural Departments with extension materials equipment and logistical support; (3) supporting innovative demand-driven and market-oriented research to address current challenges being faced by smallholder farmers; (4) updating and reorienting a standardized curriculum for agricultural colleges and farm institutes to be more market-focused gender-sensitive and climate-smart; and (5) improving the enabling (administrative and legal) environment to facilitate access to local and foreign markets for agricultural production.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) increased adoption of relevant productivity-enhancing technologies which would result in yield increases in maize and rice and a reduction of post-harvest losses; (2) increased adoption of market-oriented approaches to farm management which would result in increased volume of produce marketed and agribusiness agreements signed; and (3) increased private sector investments in sustainable agricultural input supply production marketing and processing which would result in increased number of farmers accessing input suppliers loans and equity investment to grow their businesses.