President John Dramani Mahama has announced that Cabinet will soon approve a National Agribusiness Policy aimed at driving value addition in Ghana’s agricultural sector.

Speaking at the Presidential Dialogue with the Private Sector in Accra on Monday, February 23, 2026, the president outlined the policy as a key pillar of the government’s broader industrial transformation agenda.

“The Cabinet will soon approve the National Agribusiness Policy to anchor our aim of value addition,” he stated.

According to President Mahama, meaningful industrialisation depends on secure land tenure and the protection of agricultural resources. He revealed that government will fast-track the allocation of litigation-free agro-industrial lands to enable businesses establish processing facilities without legal encumbrances.

He also announced plans to introduce commercial contract farming frameworks to strengthen supply relationships between farmers and agro-processors. In addition, irrigation systems will be expanded to boost productivity and reduce reliance on rain-fed agriculture.

To curb post-harvest losses and improve value retention, the government will invest in storage, preservation and cold chain infrastructure. President Mahama further stressed that land reform is critical to economic transformation, noting that secure tenure encourages long-term agricultural investment.

As part of broader reforms, government will accelerate the creation of industrial land banks and reform land tenure systems to support binding commercial farming agreements. He added that decisive action will be taken against illegal mining and sand winning to protect farmlands and water bodies.

The President explained that the agribusiness policy will complement other initiatives, including the 24-hour economy programme, which has been backed by the recently assented Authority Bill.

He said the goal is to move Ghana from exporting raw commodities to becoming a value-added producer capable of competing within the African Continental Free Trade Area market.

However, he cautioned that market access alone is not enough. Energy reform, financing reform and strict enforcement measures, he noted, are essential to position Ghana as a competitive production hub in West Africa.

President Mahama urged the private sector to scale up investment, create jobs, prioritise local content and invest in skills development to support the country’s agribusiness transformation drive.