Mahama cuts sod for first farmer services centre at Takoratwene, Afram Plains
President John Dramani Mahama has cut sod for the construction of Ghana’s first Farmer’s Service Centre at Takoratwene in the Afram Plains South District, describing the initiative as a strategic national investment aimed at transforming the country’s agricultural sector.
Speaking at the ceremony, President Mahama said the project marks “more than just the start of a construction project,” but represents “the beginning of a strategic national investment in Ghanaian agriculture” and a decisive step toward building a modern, productive, and resilient agricultural economy.
He emphasized that the initiative reflects government’s confidence in Ghanaian farmers, noting that agriculture remains the backbone of livelihoods for millions, supports local economies, supplies raw materials to industry, and underpins national food security.
However, the President acknowledged longstanding challenges facing farmers, including limited access to mechanisation, inadequate storage, weak extension services, and poor market linkages, which have negatively impacted productivity and incomes.
“If we are committed to transforming Ghana’s economy, then we must be equally serious about transforming agriculture,” he stated.
President Mahama explained that the Farmer’s Service Centre programme is a flagship initiative under the NDC government’s broader agricultural transformation agenda, designed to shift the sector from subsistence to commercial production, improve resilience, and enhance value addition and competitiveness.
According to him, the centres will function as integrated service hubs, offering mechanisation services, access to inputs, extension and advisory support, storage facilities, post-harvest handling, market linkages, and farmer training.
“In effect, they will serve as a one-stop service point for registered farmers,” he said.
Government plans to establish 50 such centres nationwide, with 11 set to begin this year.
President Mahama noted that Afram Plains was strategically selected for the first project due to its vast arable land, strong potential for maize, rice, soya bean, and livestock production, year-round water availability, and a hardworking farming population.
“The establishment of this centre on approximately 12 acres of land is both strategic and timely,” he said, adding that it will improve mechanisation access, reduce post-harvest losses, increase productivity, and create jobs, particularly for the youth.
He also commended B5 Plus Group Limited for partnering with government, stressing that agricultural transformation requires strong public-private collaboration.
“To the farmers of Afram Plains and throughout Ghana, I assure you that this government stands firmly with you,” he said, citing ongoing efforts to address rising input costs, climate risks, and infrastructure challenges through expanded irrigation, climate-resilient agriculture, improved seeds, mechanisation support, agro-processing, and rural development.
