Farmers call for Northern commodity exchange to boost agribusiness

By Samuel SAM

Smallholder farmers in northern Ghana are calling for the establishment of a Northern commodity exchange to improve market access, stabilise prices and strengthen agribusiness value chains.

Speaking after the launch of the Private Sector and Innovation Promotion (PSINNO) Project at the University for Development Studies (UDS) Dungu Campus in Tamale, Chief Executive Officer of Boressa Investment Ltd, Hajia Rafiatu Iddisah, said many farmers still have unsold 2025 harvests due to weak market linkages, price volatility and limited access to buyers.

She proposed a commodity trading platform bringing together all value-chain actors under the leadership of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), supported by formal agreements with agribusiness firms to facilitate timely produce purchases and improve farmers’ incomes.

According to her, the situation has tied up capital needed for the current farming season, posing a significant threat to production. She also urged government to reduce rice and maize imports and strengthen procurement systems to prioritise locally produced grains for public institutions.

Hajia Iddisah further highlighted challenges including limited access to finance, land constraints for women farmers and the impact of climate change. She noted that many farmers depend on rain-fed agriculture, with prolonged droughts and delayed rainfall significantly reducing yields.

She called for accelerated investment in irrigation, mechanisation centres and grain-processing facilities, as well as the release of completed community warehouses currently inaccessible to farmers. Such interventions, she said, would support food security, create jobs, reduce imports and strengthen local value chains.

The PSINNO Project was organised by the Northern Regional Coordinating Council in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, the German Government, GIZ and other development partners to promote private-sector growth, entrepreneurship and innovation in northern Ghana.

 

 

 

 

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