The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, has pledged immediate government support for PNA Foods to expand its agro-processing operations, describing the company as a model for addressing market challenges faced by farmers across the country.
Speaking after a tour of the company’s processing facility in Accra, Mr. Opoku expressed admiration for PNA Foods’ investments in maize, cassava, egg and palm processing, stating that the establishment of more such factories would significantly improve market access for farmers.
“If we can have five or ten of these facilities in our country, farmers will not be crying for lack of market for their produce,” he said.
The Minister highlighted the importance of the company’s egg processing plant, noting that many poultry farmers continue to struggle with excess production and limited market opportunities.
He revealed that some producers who attempted to export eggs to Burkina Faso recently had their products destroyed by authorities, underscoring the need for local processing solutions.
“We are negotiating to restore that relationship, but if we process the eggs here, we create jobs and add value to our products,” he stated.
Mr. Opoku disclosed that the government, in partnership with Germany, has established a programme with funding exceeding GHS150 million to support agro-processors.
He indicated that PNA Foods requires up to GHS84 million to operate its facilities at full capacity and assured management that discussions would begin immediately to facilitate financial support.
“We will meet immediately to make some resources available for you to operationalise all the machines,” he said.
The Minister linked the initiative to President John Dramani Mahama’s 24-hour economy agenda, stressing that value addition remains central to the programme’s success.
According to him, Ghana possesses abundant land, water resources and labour, but continues to lose economic opportunities by exporting raw materials instead of processed products.
“We have land, water and cheap labour, yet we continue to produce raw materials without value addition.
That is why I decided to be here,” he remarked.
Mr. Opoku also urged the media and the public to support locally manufactured products, including processed food items produced by PNA Foods, as part of efforts to reduce the country’s food import bill, which he estimated at about $3 billion annually.
“That money goes outside the country to create jobs for people elsewhere.
Buy local products and help local companies expand and employ more Ghanaians,” he urged.
The Minister further encouraged greater investment in agriculture, describing the sector as a key driver of economic transformation.
“Agriculture is not for those who have lost hope.
It is for the wealthy. The wealth is in the land,” he said, adding that investments in agriculture often generate stronger economic returns and multiplier effects than many other sectors
