Agrofresh Innovations and GEXIM Investments Target Post-Harvest Waste and Value Addition in Ghana’s Agricultural Sector

Ghana's agricultural sector is grappling with significant post-harvest challenges, with social entrepreneur Mathias Charles Yabe revealing that between 40% and 50% of the country’s fruits and vegetables are wasted annually. These losses, occurring throughout the value chain from farm gates to marketplaces and homes, have prompted a surge in innovative interventions and industrial investments aimed at stabilizing the food supply and boosting farmer incomes. Central to this transformation are new solar-powered preservation technologies and major processing infrastructure projects, such as the upcoming Ghana Export-Import Bank (GEXIM) funded cashew factory in Techiman.

Highlighting the severity of the waste issue during the Loud and Green X-Space on JoyNews, Yabe, the founder of Agrofresh, noted that inadequate transportation and the lack of reliable electricity for refrigeration are the primary drivers of spoilage. To combat this, Agrofresh has introduced solar-powered refrigeration units that extend the shelf life of perishable produce from five to 21 days, along with refrigerated tricycles to protect crops during transit. These innovations have already demonstrated success, with some participating farmers reporting zero losses during deliveries, effectively safeguarding their earnings from the typical pitfalls of the value chain.

Complementing these small-scale technological solutions is a broader push for industrial value addition. Moses Klu Mensah, Deputy Chief Executive of GEXIM, recently inspected the Nadkansco Processing Limited cashew factory in the Bono East Region. Expected to begin operations by mid-November 2026, the facility is projected to create 1,500 jobs and focus on processing raw cashews for the export market. This move aligns with calls from agricultural leaders, including 2023 Upper West Regional Best Farmer Sumaila Doho, who has urged the government to prioritize local production and processing infrastructure over expensive food imports to ensure long-term national food sovereignty.

The urgency of these local investments is underscored by the current grain crisis in Kenya, where a seven-year low in production has forced the government to consider duty-free imports of three million metric tonnes of white maize to stabilize prices. Kenya’s Agriculture Cabinet Secretary, Mutahi Kagwe, indicated that the country is also looking to import 360,000 metric tonnes of yellow maize for animal feed to reduce competition for human food supplies. By contrast, Ghanaian stakeholders argue that by scaling solar-powered storage and regional processing hubs, Ghana can avoid such dependencies and instead position itself as a surplus-producing nation within the regional market.