The Director of Monitoring and Evaluation at the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), Dr. George Asafo- Agyei, in a recent address, made an appeal to local chiefs for the release of land to facilitate commercial agriculture. Dr. Asafo-Agyei highlighted the vast potential of the region in agriculture, agro-processing, and tourism, emphasizing its capacity to not only meet the nation’s food demands but also to export raw materials.
,Dr. Asafo-Agyei encouraged a shift towards commercial farming by advising farmers to proactively identify markets before planting crops to prevent produce wastage. He also called upon regional leadership, especially in the newly established regions, to attract and retain investors by showcasing the economic opportunities within their areas.
The Director further challenged industrial operators to establish self-reliant entities or increase their production of raw materials to meet the demands of their factories. He urged them to aim for a 70% self-sufficiency in raw materials, relying on aggregators for the remaining 30%, to ensure consistent production and underscored the issues arising when factories heavily depend on external outgrowers for raw materials.
The purpose of the forum and tour was to raise awareness of GIPC’s activities and its mission among the regions. It also sought to foster partnerships between businesses and local agricultural production to enhance profitability and employment opportunities. Dr. Asafo-Agyei stated that GIPC is working closely with planning officers in metropolitan, municipal, and district assemblies (MMDAs) to identify investment prospects and promote them to attract investments. He also pledged GIPC’s commitment to training investors to identify regions with substantial agricultural potential and other investment opportunities
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