Ho, Friday, December 5, 2025
President John D. Mahama has reiterated his commitment to transforming Ghana’s
agriculture sector during the 41st National Farmers’ Day celebration held in
Ho. He described farmers and fisherfolk as “the backbone of national food
security and economic stability.”
Major Programmes and Actions
In his address, President Mahama noted the long-standing challenges facing Ghanaian agriculture - including climate change, rising costs of inputs, mechanisation gaps and market linkages. He also pointed to the country’s heavy reliance on food imports and emphasised the urgent need for Ghana to strengthen domestic production.
A key highlight of his remarks was the launch of the Nkoko Nkitinkiti initiative - a national backyard and household poultry production programme. Under this programme, three million poultry birds will be distributed across all 276 constituencies, with each constituency receiving 10,000 birds and each participating household receiving 50 birds along with feed support and technical guidance.
President Mahama described the initiative as:
“A national movement … a courageous step towards restoring food self-sufficiency, strengthening household resilience and fostering sustainable livelihoods for tens of thousands of Ghanaians, especially women, youth and vulnerable families"
He explained that this poultry programme is part of the wider Feed Ghana Programme, aimed at modernising agriculture, reducing food inflation and creating jobs in the agro-industrial value chain.
Empowering Farmers & Value-Chain Development
President Mahama emphasised several priority areas:
- Ensuring farmers have access to quality fertilizers, seeds and extension services.
- Making mechanisation services more accessible and affordable.
- Encouraging youth and women’s participation in agribusiness.
- Promoting value-addition and agro-processing so that Ghana becomes not just a producer of raw commodities but a manufacturer of finished products.
- Supporting fishing and aquaculture communities with infrastructure and sustainable policies.
A Call for Unity and National Ownership
Food security, President Mahama stressed, is neither a partisan issue nor a secondary concern - it is fundamental to national prosperity:
“When the farmer succeeds, Ghana succeeds. When the fisherman thrives, the nation thrives.”
He urged all Ghanaians - public servants, private sector, civil society and farmers themselves - to embrace agriculture as the engine of economic transformation, not just as a livelihood.
Conclusion
As the celebration in Ho came to a close, President Mahama offered heartfelt appreciation to the nation’s farmers and fisherfolk, acknowledging that they carry the weight of feeding the country. With programmes like Nkoko Nkitinkiti and Feed Ghana now underway, he reiterated that Ghana is embarking on “a new era” of agricultural empowerment and self-sufficiency.
