Creating jobs, increasing productivity, enhancing product quality and preserving the environment.

Sustainable and Inclusive Agriculture

Smallholder farmers account for almost 80% of the total agricultural production and contribute a quarter of Ghana’s GDP. However, their productivity and the quality of produce are low and they have limited access to agricultural inputs and financing.

The Market-Oriented Agriculture Programme (MOAP) is financed by the German Government (Southern Ghana), co-financed by the EU (Northern Ghana) and implemented by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.

MOAP aims at promoting sustainable and inclusive agriculture to improve livelihoods and food security. The programme in Northern Ghana seeks to create jobs, increase productivity, enhance product quality and preserve the environment.

 

 

Enhancing Agricultural Value Chains

The programme provides policy advice to decision-makers and trains agricultural advisors to improve the competitiveness of the value chains (VC) for groundnuts, soybeans, mango, pineapple, citrus fruits, cashew, vegetables, rice and sorghum.

Activities carried out by MOAP focus on establishing good agricultural practice such as orchard management, integrated plant protection and measures to preserve soil fertility. In addition, the programme will facilitate certification of farms in accordance with standards such as GLOBALG.A.P. which plays a vital role for the access to international markets.

The programme pursues a multi- stakeholder approach by working with farmers and private enterprises, their associations, input providers and Local Government to enhance service provision and cohesion at all levels of the VC.

MOAP creates an enabling environment for sustainable investment and agricultural infrastructure such as irrigation schemes, warehouses and transportation by empowering local communities through capacity building and a close cooperation with the private sector.

 

Food Security, Income Generation and Job Creation

Improved productivity and quality in the supported value chains lead to enhanced market access, creation of additional jobs and higher incomes in the agricultural sector. The production of high-value cash crops enhances food security of smallholder farmers, particularly during critical periods of the year, when their stable-food stocks are depleted.

Since 2004, MOAP´s activities have secured over 30,000 jobs in the agricultural sector and processing businesses. More than 5,000 farmers have received training in good agricultural practices, and more than 2,000 of them have been certified according to internationally accepted sustainability standards. The members of two pineapple cooperatives in the Central Region have benefited from certification by obtaining up to 50% higher producer prices. Citrus and mango processors and exporters report that fruit fly infestation of their fruit has been reduced by half.

 

Oranges for Development  

After receiving advice from trained service providers, a local juice producer could meet international standards and obtain certification. The producer also went on to train and certify 1,000 farmers in contract farming and good agricultural practices. Today, the company exports 3,000 tonnes of certified orange juice a year, with a value of USD 1.5 million, and produces 1,000 tonnes of juice for the local market, worth around USD 300,000. The expansion of production has created between 150 and 200 seasonal jobs, mostly for women.

 

 

 

MOAP Northern Ghana at a GlanceMoap at a glace

Programme name: Market-Oriented Agriculture Programme (MOAP)

Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)

Co-funded by: European Union

Duration: 9th April 2017 to 31st December 2023

Lead Executing Agency: Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA)

 Project region:14 districts in Upper West and Northern Region

Contact: Market-Oriented Agriculture Programme (MOAP)

Regional Department of Agriculture

P.O. Box 21

Wa – Ghana

T +233 545 797 176

E This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

I www.giz.de/ghana