President John Dramani Mahama has reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to transforming its agricultural sector through technology, mechanisation and strategic international partnerships, highlighting Belarus as a key partner in achieving the country’s food security and industrialisation goals.
Addressing officials during his state visit to Belarus, President Mahama said agriculture remains at the centre of Ghana’s national development agenda, stressing that the government’s vision goes beyond increasing farm output to building a modern, technology-driven sector capable of creating jobs, supporting industrial growth and improving livelihoods across rural communities.
“Our vision is not merely to increase production, but to transform agriculture into a modern, technology-driven sector that creates jobs, supports industrialisation, strengthens food security and improves livelihoods of our people across rural communities,” the President stated.
He said Ghana is implementing policies aimed at increasing agricultural productivity, expanding irrigation infrastructure, reducing post-harvest losses, promoting agro-processing and enhancing value addition throughout agricultural value chains.
President Mahama noted that Belarus’ achievements in agricultural mechanisation, farm technology, equipment manufacturing and agricultural research present significant opportunities for collaboration.
“We see significant opportunities for collaboration with Belarus. Belarus has built an impressive reputation in agricultural mechanisation, farm technology, equipment manufacturing and agricultural research. These are areas where Ghana can benefit greatly through strategic partnerships, technology transfer, skills development and investment,” he said.
The President’s remarks come as Ghana seeks to modernise its agricultural sector and reduce dependence on food imports. During his visit, Mahama toured major agro-industrial facilities in the Belarusian city of Brest, where he observed advanced dairy-processing technologies and large-scale agricultural production systems.
He indicated that Ghana could adapt similar technologies to improve efficiency and reduce post-harvest losses, a major challenge facing local farmers.
President Mahama emphasised that combining Ghana’s vast agricultural potential with Belarusian expertise could yield substantial benefits for both countries.
“By combining Ghana’s agricultural potential with Belarusian expertise and innovation, we can create partnerships that contribute to food security, industrial growth and shared prosperity,” he said.
The visit forms part of broader efforts to strengthen bilateral relations between Ghana and Belarus. Discussions between the two countries are expected to cover agricultural mechanisation, export financing, trade, education and technical cooperation. Officials have also indicated that several bilateral agreements could emerge from the talks.
Belarus has previously expressed interest in supporting Ghana’s agricultural modernisation agenda through the supply of farm machinery, training programmes for local technicians and the establishment of service centres to support mechanised farming operations.
Analysts say the partnership could help accelerate Ghana’s drive towards commercial agriculture, improve productivity and support the government’s objective of creating sustainable jobs along the agricultural value chain.
CREDIT: MAVIS FANTEVI
