The Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Hon. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, has reaffirmed government’s commitment to empowering women in agribusiness as key drivers of Ghana’s economic transformation.
Speaking at the Brong Ahafo Women Co-operative Cocoa Farming and Marketing Central Union (BAWCOF) Annual Festival held in Techiman, on Tuesday, 28th October, 2025, the Minister commended the group for their contribution to women’s empowerment and sustainable cocoa production under the theme “Nourishing Women, Cultivating Lives.”
Hon. Ofosu-Adjare lauded BAWCOF’s achievements since its establishment in 2021, noting that the Union has empowered over 7,000 rural women cocoa farmers across nine cocoa districts, strengthening their participation in cooperative marketing, leadership, and sustainable farming.
She said government’s restructuring of her Ministry to include Agribusiness and Industry underscores its determination to build stronger value chains and promote industrial linkages that enhance productivity and job creation.
The Minister disclosed that government is implementing strategic interventions such as the Feed the Industry Programme, which aims to increase factory capacity utilization from 30–40% to 70–80% by linking smallholder farmers—especially women—directly to agro-processors through structured contract arrangements.
To accelerate agribusiness growth, Hon. Ofosu-Adjare mentioned short- and long-term measures, including tax waivers on agro-processing machinery to attract investment, support for local machinery production through the GRATIS Foundation and the Rural Enterprise Programme, and value-chain financing schemes under GIRSAL. She added that government’s investment in cold-chain infrastructure could generate nearly USD 900 million annually in the fruits and vegetables sector.
She further indicated that the Ministry is leading the development of a National Agribusiness Policy to integrate value chains, promote inclusiveness, and ensure that the voices of women farmers and agripreneurs are central to policy decisions.
As part of her visit, the Minister also toured an exhibition of agribusiness products and commended the creativity and innovation of women entrepreneurs. She also presented trophies to winners of the women’s cooking competition, describing their efforts as a symbol of the power of Ghanaian women to create value from the soil to the table.
The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Hon. Eric Opoku, who also attended the event, commended women for their vital role in Ghana’s agricultural sector, noting that they constitute 52 percent of the agricultural labour force, contribute 70 percent of the country’s food production, and represent 90 percent of the processing and marketing workforce.
He praised BAWCOF for promoting the welfare of female cocoa farmers and donated GH₵40,000 to support their operations. Hon. Opoku also echoed the need for value addition, stressing that the integration of agribusiness into the Trade Ministry was crucial to ensuring farmers benefit fully from their produce.
The festival brought together hundreds of women farmers, traditional leaders, cooperatives, and stakeholders from across the cocoa value chain to celebrate progress and explore new opportunities for growth and sustainability.
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