Ghana Agriculture

The palm oil industry is coming full circle in West Africa. The commodity was first produced in the region as early as the 16th century and commercial trade began in 1820. In the mid-19th century traders transported planting materials from Ghana to Asia, where the climate proved highly conducive for growth. The industry boomed in this new location, leaving Africa behind...

As the world’s second-largest producer of cocoa – behind only its neighbour Côte d’Ivoire – Ghana’s agricultural output and overall economy are dependent on production of the crop, which represents 57% of the sector’s export earnings and over 20% of total export earnings, and employs more than 800,000 farmers.

As the foundation of Ghana’s economy, agriculture employs more than half of the population and is a key focus for the country’s inclusive economic development agenda. Yet as the industrial and services sectors have strengthened in recent years, agriculture’s contribution to overall GDP has steadily declined, falling from 32% in 2009 to 22% in 2013. The government’s...

While there is plenty of fertile land available for agriculture in Ghana – an estimated 6.1m ha of its 13.6m ha of agricultural land is not cultivated at present – land acquisition remains a challenging process.

Often referred to as the backbone of Ghana’s economy, agriculture has traditionally been the largest sector and biggest employer in the country, bolstered by diverse commodities and strong ties to European markets. However, agriculture’s economic contribution has dwindled as the sector has shown low growth in recent years, with its contribution to...

A key pillar of agricultural and export activity in Ghana, cocoa is the most important and valuable crop grown in the country. Vying with Côte d’Ivoire for the title of world’s largest cocoa producer, Ghana has seen phenomenal growth in its cocoa industry since national hero Tetteh Quarshie introduced the crop in the 19th century. Today, cocoa is...