Access to finance, inflation, and lack of inputs are among the major challenges accounting for poor performance in the agriculture sector in the northern zone of Ghana.
The united states agency for international development (USAID) through its feed the future Ghana market systems and resilience has announce a 500,000 dollar grant window to help address the challenge within the next five years.
The finance grant window is to support the development and economic growth in the targeted crop value chains maize, shea, bambara beans, soybeans, cowpea, groundnut, moringa, mango, and vegetables, and their value addition.
17 districts across the northern, north east, upper west, and upper east regions are the target beneficiaries.
The grants are designed to reduce the cost of agricultural lending, improve the liquidity of financial service providers, and encourage more agriculture service providers to offer targeted financial services to smes in the 17 USAID targeted zones.
The fund is to be disbursed through community credit unions other accredited financial institutions
30-year-old Musah Nafiu, a maize farmer who currently cultivates 100 hectares. described the intervention as timely
The Ghana msr activity is a five-year activity implemented by a consortium of partners led by acdi/voca, focusing on strengthening commercial relationships between market actors, outgrower businesses, smallholder farmers, producers, processors, buyers, input suppliers, and lenders to expand agribusiness in Ghana’s northern regions.
The project targets women, youth, and people with disabilities.
By Peter Quao Adattor
