Ghana's agricultural extension officers are being retooled to take on a broader role beyond teaching farmers how to grow more food. According to Augustus Tanoh, Presidential Advisor on the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Secretariat, these officers must now be equipped with skills in storage, processing, finance, standards, logistics, and agribusiness. This move aims to address the challenges faced by farmers in accessing markets and managing their produce effectively.
The partnership between Ghana and Hungary, showcased at the Hungary-Ghana Agricultural Cooperation Forum in Accra, seeks to strengthen agricultural extension services and value chains. Tanoh emphasized that producing more food is only part of the equation, as harvests without proper storage lead to losses, and those without processing depress prices. He described extension officers as the link between science and farming, and increasingly between what farmers produce and what markets actually want.
The training initiative is part of Ghana's 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development programmes, specifically the GROW24 sub-programme. This programme aims to build integrated agricultural value chains linking farmers to irrigation, mechanisation, quality inputs, extension services, storage, processing, finance, logistics, and markets. By widening the mandate of extension officers, the government hopes to add value to raw produce before it leaves Ghanaian farms.
Post-harvest losses in Ghana average between 30 and 40 percent across value chains, with losses as high as 70 percent for crops like yam. Tanoh pointed out that for smallholder farmers, this scale of waste translates directly into lost income. He also called for stronger farmer cooperatives, arguing that organised farmers would have better bargaining power to buy inputs, access machinery and finance, standardise production, and negotiate directly with processors and exporters.
Hungary's Ambassador to Ghana, Tamás Endre Fehér, said his country was ready to share expertise built up in crop production, livestock farming, water management, food processing, agricultural research, and vocational training. He added that Hungary hoped the programme would also support family farms and rural communities, contributing to food security, job creation, and reduced migration driven by economic hardship.
The value of partnerships like the one between Ghana and Hungary should not be judged by the number of agreements signed or workshops organised, but by the knowledge actually transferred, the institutions strengthened, and the productive capacity built on the ground. Tanoh said the ultimate test is whether Ghanaians become better able to produce food for themselves.
The official launch of the extension officer training programme is expected to take place in October, marking the start of a longer-term partnership covering agricultural education, innovation, technology, and food production. While no further details on the scale, funding, or specific curriculum of the training have been disclosed, the programme is expected to have a positive impact on Ghana's agricultural sector.
Key points
- The partnership aims to address post-harvest losses and improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers.
- The training programme will equip extension officers with skills in storage, processing, finance, standards, logistics, and agribusiness.
- The initiative is part of Ghana's efforts to reduce its reliance on exporting unprocessed commodities and build integrated agricultural value chains.
