The Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Hon. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, has reaffirmed government’s strong commitment to empowering women in agribusiness as key catalysts of Ghana’s economic transformation.
Speaking at the Brong Ahafo Women Co-operative Cocoa Farming and Marketing Central Union (BAWCOF) Annual Festival in Techiman on Tuesday, the Minister commended the group for advancing women’s empowerment and promoting sustainable cocoa production under the theme “Nourishing Women, Cultivating Lives.”
Hon. Ofosu-Adjare praised BAWCOF’s remarkable achievements since its formation in 2021, highlighting that the union has empowered more than 7,000 rural women cocoa farmers across nine cocoa districts. Through cooperative marketing, leadership training, and sustainable farming initiatives, these women have strengthened their economic participation within the cocoa value chain.
She emphasized that the restructuring of her Ministry to include Agribusiness and Industry underscores government’s commitment to building stronger value chains, deepening industrial linkages, and creating employment opportunities across the agricultural sector.
The Minister disclosed that strategic interventions such as the Feed the Industry Programme are being rolled out to boost productivity by connecting smallholder farmers—especially women—directly to agro-processors through structured contracts. The initiative aims to raise factory capacity utilization from 30–40 percent to 70–80 percent.
Hon. Ofosu-Adjare further outlined a series of policy measures, including tax waivers on agro-processing machinery, support for local equipment production through the GRATIS Foundation and the Rural Enterprise Programme, and value-chain financing schemes under GIRSAL. She added that investments in cold-chain infrastructure could generate nearly USD 900 million annually in the fruits and vegetables sector.
She also announced that her Ministry is developing a National Agribusiness Policy to integrate value chains, promote inclusiveness, and ensure that women farmers and agripreneurs have a central voice in policy formulation.
As part of the event, the Minister toured an exhibition of agribusiness products, commending the creativity and innovation of women entrepreneurs. She also presented trophies to winners of a cooking competition, describing their achievements as a reflection of “the power of Ghanaian women to create value from the soil to the table.”
Joining her at the festival, the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Hon. Eric Opoku, lauded women for their vital role in Ghana’s agricultural economy. He noted that women make up 52 percent of the agricultural labour force, contribute 70 percent of food production, and represent 90 percent of the processing and marketing workforce.
Hon. Opoku praised BAWCOF for its impact on the welfare of female cocoa farmers and announced a GH₵40,000 donation to support their activities. He also reiterated the importance of value addition, stressing that the integration of agribusiness into the Trade Ministry will ensure that farmers fully benefit from their produce.
The colourful festival brought together hundreds of women farmers, traditional leaders, cooperatives, and stakeholders from across the cocoa value chain to celebrate progress, share experiences, and explore new opportunities for sustainable growth.
