In a move aimed at increasing Ghana's economic productivity, the government has unveiled a 24-Hour Economy Strategy. This initiative is geared towards maintaining continuous economic activity and includes an agricultural component known as Grow24. The Grow24 initiative seeks to revitalize Ghana's agricultural value chains, with goals centered around food self-sufficiency, sustainable job creation, and climate resilience.
Ghana faces challenges such as post-harvest losses above 30% and limited irrigation resources, with only 5% of arable land receiving irrigation. The Grow24 initiative aims to tackle these issues by reducing food imports, enhancing local manufacturing, and supporting rural areas. A statement from the 2025 State of the Nation Address highlights the impact of these challenges on economic growth.
Grow24 introduces two major projects: The Eden Volta Breadbasket Project and the Shikpon Urban and Peri-Urban Farming Revolution. The Eden Volta project focuses on irrigation and climate-smart practices across 2 million hectares in the Volta Basin, achieving crop productivity increases of up to 130%. The Shikpon project develops peri-urban farming clusters around major cities, utilizing advanced techniques in greenhouses and micro-irrigation.
Both initiatives draw on agroecological principles, including biodiversity, collaborative knowledge-sharing, and participatory governance. The projects are further supported by Dutch agricultural expertise, leveraging public-private partnerships to bring innovations in climate-smart farming and infrastructure development.
The Netherlands plays a vital role in backing Ghana's agricultural sector, offering expertise in climate-smart practices and infrastructure. These collaborations aim to modernize farming through developments in seed stock, greenhouse construction, and water management under the Grow24 framework.
Supporting programs like the Feed Ghana Program complement the broader Grow24 agenda. This initiative is part of a strategic approach to long-term agricultural transformation in Ghana, focusing on investments in areas such as irrigation systems and improved seed varieties.
If implemented effectively, Grow24 could place Ghana more firmly on the map in both regional and global horticultural markets, enhancing livelihoods and bolstering food security.
Source: MLVVN
