Mahama’s Feed the Industries policy to rejuvenate industry, drive real-sector growth and 24-hour economy

President John Dramani Mahama's Feed the Industries policy aims to connect large-scale agriculture with domestic processing, addressing a major constraint in Ghana's agro-processing industry - reliable year-round raw material supplies. The programme, initially a pilot in the Central Region, targets over 18,000 youth employment and enterprise opportunities, spanning farming, aggregation, transportation, processing, packaging, logistics, and distribution.

The pilot, set to include the Central Citrus Processing Factory at Asebu and the Youth in High-Value Crop Value Chain Programme, includes securing more than 15,000 acres in the Central Region for high-value and industrial crops. The initiative seeks to boost factory output, create sustainable employment, and support Ghana's 24-Hour Economy.

Ekumfi Fruits and Juices, a key case study, has a processing capacity for about 10 tonnes of pineapple per hour. With extended operating hours, Ekumfi could move from under 20% to over 80% production capacity, requiring about 80 tonnes of fruit daily. This expansion would create demand for additional workforce, transportation, packaging, distribution, and export markets, including potential markets in the United States, United Kingdom, and Dubai.

The Feed the Industries policy, complemented by the removal of a 20% excise-duty burden on locally manufactured natural fruit juices, aims to improve the competitiveness of domestic processors. The policy intervention targets both sides of the production equation - increasing raw materials for factories and improving the competitiveness of products leaving them.