Trade Ministry, JICA Advance Plans to Boost Agro-Processed Exports Under AfCFTA
The Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry (MoTAI) has held a follow-up meeting with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to advance preparations for the implementation of the Project for Agro-Processing Value Chain Development under the AfCFTA Framework.
The meeting brought together Directors and technical officials of the Ministry and was led by the Chief Director, Mr Noah Tumfo, on behalf of the Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Hoh. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, while the JICA delegation was led by Ms AIZU Naho.
The meeting, held on Thursday, 3rd September, 2026, focused on the proposed four-year project, scheduled to run from November 2026 to October 2030, with the main objective of expanding intra-African exports of agro-processed products by leveraging opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The JICA team made presentations on the Agency and its technical cooperation projects, details of Ghana’s project request, lessons learned from food value-chain cooperation projects in Asia, the scope and schedule of the detailed planning survey, potential project activities, as well as key stakeholders in Ghana and their respective roles.
The current engagement builds on work undertaken during two earlier phases. In 2024, Phase One focused on developing the AIDA/AfCFTA Standard Guide for Country Assessment. Phase Two, conducted between August 2025 and March 2026, involved a pilot assessment in five volunteer countries, including Ghana, resulting in a Country Impact Assessment Report and a Policy Brief.
The Policy Brief identified key areas for strengthening Ghana’s agro-processing sector, including scaling up value addition and processing capacity, improving firm-level competitiveness, aligning enabling conditions with industrial-scale production, enhancing conditions and service delivery at the firm interface, and promoting inclusive participation in the value chain.
The project is expected to contribute to the establishment of effective value-chain strategies, enhance the export capacity of private enterprises, strengthen government capacity to support exports, and ultimately expand Ghana’s exports of agro-processed products within the African market.
Chief Director Mr Noah Tumfo noted that there were still opportunities for further engagement with relevant stakeholders, including the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), before the programme commenced.
He stressed the importance of involving key stakeholders to address technical and regulatory requirements and ensure the successful implementation of the project.
Click to read more: https://opemsuo.com/author/hajara-fuseini/
