Ghana’s push for agricultural transformation has received renewed momentum at the 41st National Farmers’ Day celebration in Ho on Friday, when President John Dramani Mahama called on professionals to embrace farming alongside their regular jobs.
Speaking at the 41st edition of the farmers’ day celebration under the theme: “Feed Ghana, Eat Ghana, Secure the Future”, President John Mahama stressed that agriculture is no longer exclusive to rural communities or full-time farmers.
“Agriculture is not only for village folks,” he declared. “You can work and still be a farmer. Teachers and civil servants can go to work and have farms and the money from the farm can supplement their incomes.”
In a pledge, President Mahama promised to reform agricultural financing, committing to reduce loan interest rates for farmers to single digits.
“Currently, many farmers borrow at such high rates that they end up working for the banks, not for themselves,” Mr. Mahama said.
Under the banner of the Feed Ghana Programme, the President outlined an ambitious plan to modernize farming. The strategy includes expanded irrigation including solar-powered boreholes, mechanisation support, improved access to farm inputs, increased storage and agro-processing capacity and strengthened value chains through farmer cooperatives.
The government says these measures are critical if Ghana is serious about reducing its nearly US$3 billion annual food import bill, securing food sovereignty and stabilizing prices.
Recently, food inflation dropped from 28.3 per cent in January 2025 to 9.5 per cent in October, a decline officials attribute in part to earlier interventions in fertiliser distribution, irrigation expansion and improved supply-chain management.
At the event, 82-year-old Opanyin Abraham Kwaku Adusei, a veteran farmer with decades of experience, was honoured as the 2025 Overall Best National Farmer. He and two others received prizes in recognition of their contribution to national food production.
The 2025 Farmers’ Day celebration marks a renewed call for all Ghanaians, regardless of profession or location, to embrace farming, while launching a comprehensive policy agenda aimed at transforming agriculture into a reliable engine for food security, income generation, and sustainable development.
