Bawumia will prioritise agribusinesses with comprehensive support and reforms, says Napo

Ghanaian farmers and stakeholders in the agriculture sector have received strong assurances of support from the presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mahamudu Bawumia, if elected to be president.

Speaking during his national campaign tour in Kejeji in Sene East of the Bono East region his running mate Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh outlined the NPP’s plans to bolster the agribusiness sector and enhance its contributions to national development.

Dr. Opoku Prempeh, commonly known as ‘Napo,’ emphasized the significant potential for agribusinesses to expand and create thousands of new jobs, particularly in response to opportunities in food security, food exports, and AgriTech.

“The potential for expanding and creating thousands of new jobs in agribusiness in response to the opportunities in food security and food exports, including in AgriTech, is significant. That’s why under Dr. Bawumia’s presidency, we plan to make significant investments and reforms in the sector, including agricultural research, food production, food preservation, and value-addition”, he affirmed.

Highlighting the NPP’s strategic approach, Dr. Prempeh revealed plans to create agricultural enclaves in each region based on their competitive advantages, achieved through collaboration with the private sector. These enclaves are designed to stimulate local agribusinesses and ensure that each region can leverage its unique agricultural strengths.

In addition to physical infrastructure, the NPP intends to make substantial investments in research and the development of digital and artificial intelligence technologies to enhance food production and distribution.

“We shall also redirect Development Bank Ghana (DBG) to expand its financing and guarantee lines, especially through the proposed SME Bank that we will set up. This bank will support entities engaged in the manufacturing of value-added agricultural products consumed in large quantities by Ghanaians, including the processing and packaging of basic agricultural foods”, he noted.

The plan also includes strategic investments in agricultural research, aiming to improve production efficiency, reduce post-harvest losses, and enhance the packaging of agricultural produce for better freshness and longer shelf life.

There will be a focus on farming in arid conditions and agricultural mechanization to address various environmental challenges.

Dr. Prempeh further announced that the government would accelerate the growth of agro-industries by providing financing and guarantees through DBG and the Ghana Incentive-Based Risk-Share System for Agricultural Lending (GIRSAL).