2027 Budget Must Address Farmers' Value Chain Challenges — Dedeyao Farms CEO

Commercial agriculture in Ghana remains a precarious undertaking in which farmers shoulder the heaviest costs but wield the least control over the value chain, the CEO of Dedeyao Farms has warned, calling on the government to use the 2027 Budget to provide stronger financial and institutional support to producers.

Daniel Asimadi told Joy News' PM Express on Wednesday, November 11, that farmers invest heavily in land preparation, cultivation and other production activities, yet often have limited control over the marketing and distribution of their produce—leaving them exposed to intermediaries and unable to earn returns that reflect the resources they commit.

"Handling the value chain is always a difficult thing," Asimadi said. "The farmers are always at a disadvantage position, especially when you look at the amount of resources you have to put into farming if you want to do it on a large-scale commercial level."

A Structural Imbalance

Asimadi explained that Dedeyao Farms had chosen to concentrate on production, meaning the company does not directly market its own produce. That decision, while operationally sensible, leaves the business dependent on other actors in the chain—an arrangement he described as a common trap for producers.

"If you don't get them to support you and you want to do it on your pocket, you can't survive," he said, warning that farmers who attempt to finance large-scale operations entirely from personal funds risk running into difficulties and may struggle to remain in business.

His call for support was directed not only at the government but also at financial institutions and other organisations capable of working with farmers to provide the resources needed to expand production.

The Finance Gap in Ghanaian Agriculture

Asimadi's concerns are supported by the data. Agriculture accounts for about 21 per cent of Ghana's GDP and employs roughly 30 per cent of the labour force, yet the sector receives less than 5 per cent of total bank lending—a gap that has persisted for years despite successive government pledges to modernise agriculture. The African Development Bank has estimated that Ghana needs US$2.8 billion annually to finance agricultural transformation.

The government has signalled some movement on the issue. The 2026 budget included a GH¢1.5 billion agricultural financing facility, but industry observers noted that disbursement was slow and skewed toward large-scale operators rather than the smallholder farmers who dominate production.

The 2027 Budget, which Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson presents to Parliament on Thursday, November 12, is expected to outline measures to improve access to finance, strengthen market linkages and encourage investment in commercial production. Deputy Finance Minister Thomas Ampem Nyarko has indicated the budget will introduce no new taxes, relying instead on expenditure rationalisation to fund flagship programmes.

The Broader Food Security Context

Asimadi's intervention comes as Ghana pursues an ambitious push toward food self-sufficiency, particularly in rice. The Ministry of Food and Agriculture has targeted 3.31 million metric tonnes of paddy production by 2028, and the African Development Bank has approved an US$18.8 million grant to support rice value chain development. Yet farmers in the northern belt have reported holding more than 700,000 metric tonnes of unsold paddy from the previous season—a reminder that production without market access creates its own crisis.

The government has allocated GH¢500 million in the 2027 budget for silos at strategic locations to store excess grain, but the challenge Asimadi describes is more fundamental: a value chain in which the producer bears the risk and the intermediary captures the margin.

Demographics

Asimadi's remarks were made ahead of the budget presentation on November 12, 2026.

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Reporter's note: The figures on agriculture's share of bank lending and the African Development Bank's financing estimate are drawn from published sector data and may not reflect the most recent quarter. The GH¢1.5 billion agricultural financing facility referenced was announced in the 2026 budget; its disbursement status was not independently verified at the time of publication. The budget was not yet presented when this report was filed.