The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Mr Eric Opoku, has praised the critical role women play in Ghana’s agricultural sector, as he joined members of the Brong Ahafo Women Co-operative Cocoa Farming and Marketing Central Union Limited (BAWCO) at their 2025 annual festival held in Techiman.

The event, themed “Nurturing Women, Cultivating Life,” celebrated the contributions of women to cocoa farming and agribusiness.

Addressing the gathering, Mr. Opoku highlighted that women are the backbone of Ghana’s food and agricultural value chain. He revealed that women constitute 52% of the agricultural labour force, contribute 70% of the country’s food production, and represent 90% of the agricultural processing and marketing workforce.

The Minister commended BAWCO for championing the welfare of female cocoa farmers, describing the cooperative as “one of the best initiatives to promote farmers’ prosperity and economic empowerment.”

To support their operations, he donated GHS 40,000 to the Union.

Mr. Opoku also touched on Ghana’s performance in the global cocoa market.

He noted that although Ghana has moved from being the world’s largest cocoa producer to second place, the country remains unmatched in the quality of its cocoa beans.

He linked this excellence to Ghana’s long-standing reputation for premium cocoa on the international market.

Sharing a personal connection, the Minister recounted that his own mother was a cocoa farmer whose earnings helped sponsor his education.

This, he said, strengthened his belief in improving farmer welfare and income through value addition.

He stressed that farmers abroad are wealthier than their Ghanaian counterparts because they benefit from value addition to their produce.

He reiterated President Mahama's administration’s policy of integrating agribusiness into the Trade Ministry to ensure value addition becomes a major driver of Ghana’s economy.

Mr. Opoku also added his voice to the ongoing national campaign against illegal mining (galamsey), warning that the destruction of farmlands and water bodies threatens the country’s agricultural future.

On the issue of the recent food glut, the Minister assured farmers that the government has provided an initial GHS100 million through the National Food Buffer Stock Company to purchase surplus food from the market.

He indicated that additional funds would be released should the need arise, saying the government is committed to preventing post-harvest losses and stabilising farmer incomes.

He further assured cocoa farmers that the government will continue to adjust cocoa prices upward when global market prices increase, to ensure farmers benefit from changes in the international cocoa economy.

The BAWCO Festival brought together women farmers, cooperatives, traditional leaders, and stakeholders in the agriculture value chain to discuss opportunities for growth, value addition, and sustainable farming practices.