{
  "id": 6341942,
  "title": "Fidelity Bank champions value chain approach to unlock Ghana’s agricultural potential",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/08/fidelity-bank-champions-value-chain-approach-to-unlock-ghanas-6341942",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-08T21:34:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
    "slug": "myjoyonline-ghana",
    "url": "https://www.myjoyonline.com/fidelity-bank-champions-value-chain-approach-to-unlock-ghanas-agricultural-potential/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Fidelity Bank Ghana has urged a transformative approach to financing and structuring Ghana's agricultural sector. The bank believes that achieving self-reliance in agriculture requires capturing more value from existing crops rather than merely increasing production. This stance was expressed at the Ghana Horticulture Expo 2026, a platform where Fidelity Bank actively engaged as a valued participant. During the event, John-Paul Taabavi, Divisional Director for Corporate and Institutional Banking, highlighted the disparity between the value generated from similar agricultural exports, with cocoa paste yielding a higher return than non-traditional products despite using the same resources. He emphasized that true agricultural sovereignty lies in controlling the value chain, retaining income within the economy, and fostering more businesses in Ghana's agricultural wealth. The growing demand for Ghanaian products, now reaching 152 countries, underscores that supply is not the bottleneck. Rather, the critical gaps occur between the producer and the market, encompassing areas such as cold storage, aggregation, processing, packaging, logistics, quality assurance, certification, dependable energy, and access to suitable financing. Taabavi also questioned conventional views on agricultural risk, suggesting that the issue might stem from financing methods rather than the inherent nature of farming. Fidelity Bank has responded to this challenge through the Fidelity Export Club, established in 2023, which has supported over 400 exporters and farmers. Additionally, the bank has disbursed more than GHS 160 million to FAGE members via the BRIDGE-in-Agriculture program in collaboration with the Mastercard Foundation and other SME channels. These efforts have resulted in approximately US$40 million in foreign exchange inflows for SMEs in the bank's portfolio by July 2026. Alex Amponsah-Agyei, Director of SME Banking, explained that Fidelity Bank has been de-risking agricultural lending by partnering with various institutions, including the GIRSAL, eco.business Fund, Mastercard Foundation, and Development Bank Ghana. The bank now offers loans at a 7% total cost through the Mastercard Foundation BRIDGE-in-Agriculture initiative, and accepts farmland as collateral, a departure from traditional financial practices. James Orraca-Tetteh, Head of Commercial Banking, stressed the importance of innovative partnerships in reshaping banking services for exporters. He highlighted the Fidelity Young Entrepreneurs Fund as an example of concessional financing combined with structured capacity building for youth and women in agribusiness. Fidelity Bank's commitment to the Ghana Horticulture Expo, dating back to its inception, demonstrates its dedication to fostering value chains that generate jobs, boost exports, and contribute to national prosperity.",
  "summary": "Fidelity Bank Ghana has called for a fundamental shift in how Ghana finances and structures its agricultural sector.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Joy Business",
        "title": "Fidelity Bank champions value chain approach to unlock Ghana’s agricultural potential",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/08/fidelity-bank-champions-value-chain-approach-to-unlock-ghanas",
        "published": "2026-09-08T21:34:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}