Ghana, Netherlands to explore agribusiness potential in the north

The governments of Ghana and the Netherlands have expressed their commitments to explore the agriculture potential of the northern sector of the country in order to boost agribusiness and increase non-traditional exports. 

“The northern sector has huge economic potential for commercial agriculture, especially vegetable production for export, and the government is seeking strategic partnerships through Public Private Partnership to develop the agribusiness potentials of these regions,” the Minister of Trade and Industry said. 

According to Harruna Iddrisu, government’s policy in this regard is to effectively push for the progressive improvement of more inclusive models that bring real economic benefits locally and accord some degree of shared power to the smallholder farmers.  

He said this will involve providing strong safeguards and remedies for local people, especially with regard to security of local land rights; increasing the set of choices open to agribusiness and smallholders, and providing more detailed regulatory frameworks for investors to provide support to smallholders within the agribusiness sector.

At a discussion in Accra with the Dutch Ambassador to Ghana, Hans Doctor, the Minister indicated that plans are far advanced to improve on the irrigation facilities in the northern sector of the country to enhance commercial farming, and hence requested the Netherlands’ financial and technical assistance in this area.

They both re-echoed the importance of Trade and Investments to any economy, and called for greater cooperation to promote the existing bilateral Trade and Investments between the two countries. This new collaboration between Ghana and the Netherlands has become necessary with the shift from aid to investment. 

For his part, the Dutch Ambassador said the Netherlands will collaborate with Ghana to boost commercial farming in the northern sector through smallholder farming models. 

“The Dutch government will continue to support Ghana’s drive toward private sector development, trade facilitation and promotion,” the Ambassador said.