President John Mahama yesterday launched the Ghana Horticultural Expo 2025 in Accra, and said that the country was poised to become Africa’s leader in agricultural transformation.

He said this would be driven by horticultural exports under the government’s 24-Hour Economy initiative. 

The President said: “Today, we gather not just to celebrate horticulture, but to declare that Ghana is ready to grow, export, and lead Africa’s agricultural transformation.”

The event, organised by the Federation of Association of Ghanaian Exporters (FAGE) and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), brought together farmers, agribusiness leaders, traditional rulers and development partners to strategise on boosting the country’s horticultural sector.

The expo which would end on June 13, 2025, features B2B matchmaking with global buyers, high-level policy discussions, export training sessions, and a focus on women and youth-led agribusinesses as well as climate-smart technologies. 

The event, being held at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC), reflects the nation’s ongoing efforts to reduce poverty through agriculture, creation of youth employment opportunities and elevation of women-led agri-enterprises to global prominence.  

Feed Ghana

President Mahama reaffirmed the government’s commitment to a Feed Ghana (2025-2028) programme, which sought to tackle rural unemployment, food insecurity and import dependency.  

“We must engineer an economic renewal that is productive, equitable and sustainable. Agriculture, especially horticulture, is not an afterthought, it is central to our vision of national economic transformation,” he said.

The initiative includes a vegetable development project to scale up greenhouse farming, alongside the establishment of smart agriculture and farmer support centres which would support mechanisation, irrigation and digital extension services.

The President further announced that the 24-Hour Economy initiative would take effect on July 1, 2025, to help ensure round-the-clock production and logistics for horticultural exports.  

“This policy will allow fresh goods like pineapples, mangoes and chilies to move swiftly from farms to ports to international shelves, minimising losses and maximising value,” he said.  

President Mahama said the Tema and Takoradi ports would soon operate 24-hours daily, with enhanced infrastructure and security to support agro-industrial activities.  

$10bn export target

Ghana’s non-traditional exports hit $3.5 billion in 2024, with horticulture as a key driver.

However, the government has set a target exceeding $10 billion by 2030.  

“Under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), we have a market of 1.4 billion people.

We must, therefore, not only trade more but produce more, and Ghana must lead,” he said.  

To strengthen export readiness, the President said that the government would establish agri-industrial zones and cold chain infrastructure to reduce post-harvest losses, while agribusiness youth clinics would equip young entrepreneurs with skills, capital and mentorship.

“These interventions are not promises, they are policy realities.

In 1957, Osagyefo Dr  Nkrumah said, ‘Seek ye first the political kingdom.’ Today, I say to our exporters and nation: Seek ye first the productive economy,” he said.