Dumelo urges year-round farming to boost Ghana’s food security

Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, John Dumelo, has called on Ghanaians to unite behind a national drive for food self-sufficiency, emphasizing that sustainable agriculture must be a collective mission.

Speaking at the Citi Business Forum in Accra on Thursday, June 19, Dumelo stressed that year-round farming, not seasonal planting, holds the key to long-term food security in Ghana.

“Our aim as a government is to encourage all-year-round farming,” he said. “That requires irrigation, and irrigation needs private sector involvement.”

He urged private investors to enter the agricultural space, particularly in irrigation systems and agri-tech, to help reduce dependence on rainfall and drive consistent productivity across seasons.

According to Dumelo, collaboration between government, businesses, and farmers is essential to unlock the full potential of Ghana’s agribusiness sector.

With the right infrastructure and innovation, he believes Ghana can significantly cut down on food imports and strengthen its resilience to both climate shocks and economic disruptions.

“Let’s leverage our collective strengths to build a self-reliant, prosperous, and food-secure Ghana for generations to come,” he said.

Dumelo’s call aligns with the government’s broader agricultural strategy, which includes expanding agribusiness frontiers, attracting private investment, and stabilizing food prices.

The forum, themed “Harnessing Agribusiness for Economic Growth: Expanding Ghana’s Agribusiness Frontiers,” drew attention to the urgent need for scalable agricultural solutions as global food security remains under threat.