At the 2024 Ghana Federation of Forest and Farm Producers (GhaFFaP) national dialogue in Bolgatanga, Agriterra Ghana’s Country Representative, Habiba Nyarko Agyamang, emphasized the importance of farmers working together to achieve growth and success. She highlighted that individual farmers face challenges on their own, but by uniting and viewing agriculture as a business, they can overcome obstacles.

Madam Agyamang outlined key steps for achieving this unity, starting with farmers identifying shared needs, such as access to finance, improved farming techniques, and collective marketing of their produce. By pooling their resources and working collaboratively, farmers can leverage their collective strength—for example, renting shared equipment like tractors, which may be unaffordable individually.

She also cautioned against partnerships that rely on external incentives from governments, NGOs, or projects, as they may be unsustainable. Instead, she advocated for organic growth, capacity building, and strong governance, which includes transparent decision-making, human resource development, and sound financial management.

Madam Agyamang highlighted Agriterra’s successes in Ghana, particularly through the FFF program, which has supported farm organizations since 2018. This program has helped cooperatives expand and diversify beyond their original focus areas.

In her closing remarks, she expressed confidence in the potential of these cooperative efforts to transform agriculture into a thriving business. “We’ve made significant progress, and I’m proud to have been part of this journey,” she said.

The 2024 dialogue, held at Lapam Zorkor Hotel in Bolgatanga, was themed “Smallholder Producer Organizations: Access to Finance, Market Linkages, and Social Protection as Keys to Delivering Sustainable Climate Resilience and Green Recovery.”