Ghana’s Deputy Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Sampson Ahi, has led a government delegation to engage Turkish agribusiness leaders in Istanbul, showcasing the country’s vast opportunities for investment in agriculture and agro-industrial development.
The meeting, held on Saturday, October 18, 2025, formed part of government’s efforts to attract strategic partnerships that will accelerate Ghana’s agribusiness transformation agenda.
Hon. Ahi emphasized that Ghana’s economic strategy integrates trade, agriculture, and industry as key drivers of growth, in line with the African Union’s Agenda 2063. He noted that the government’s 24-Hour Economy initiative is a transformational policy designed to boost productivity, create jobs, and build an inclusive, competitive economy.
Outlining Ghana’s comprehensive Agribusiness Development Policy, the Deputy Minister said the framework focuses on increasing productivity through modern farming techniques, promoting value addition, enhancing market access, and attracting private sector investment. He added that the policy also aims to ensure food security and promote import substitution by expanding local production of key staples such as rice, poultry, and tomatoes.
Highlighting specific initiatives, Hon. Ahi mentioned the Feed the Industry Initiative, which supports contract farming to supply raw materials to industries, and the Accelerated Export Development Programme, aimed at diversifying non-traditional exports. He also drew attention to the Women in Trade, Agribusiness and Industry Initiative, which empowers women entrepreneurs through targeted financing and capacity-building.
The Deputy Minister presented a range of investment opportunities to the Turkish investors, including value addition in cocoa, horticulture, food processing, and mechanized farming of rice, maize, and soy. He also called for Turkish partnerships in cold chain logistics, modern packaging, and agri-tech innovations such as drone farming and satellite-assisted irrigation.
To assure investors of Ghana’s readiness, Hon. Ahi outlined the government’s pro-business incentives such as 10-year tax holidays for Free Zone enterprises, duty exemptions on machinery and equipment, and pioneer status benefits for agro-processing firms.
He further noted that investors are guaranteed full repatriation of profits and capital, backed by Ghana’s investment protection agreements.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ongoing business regulatory reforms aimed at removing barriers and streamlining processes to make Ghana the most attractive destination for agribusiness investment in Africa.
“The government is determined to make Ghana not just open for business, but the easiest place to do business on the continent,” Hon. Ahi assured.
The engagement concluded with a renewed sense of partnership, as both sides expressed readiness to explore investment avenues that will strengthen Ghana–Turkey economic relations and boost agribusiness growth in Ghana.
