The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Mr Eric Opoku, has officially launched the Promoting Rural Opportunities, Sustainable Profits and Environmental Resilience (PROSPER) Project, a major national initiative aimed at strengthening climate resilience, boosting rural incomes, and modernising agricultural value chains across Ghana.

The national launch, held in Damongo in the Savannah Region, brought together Regional Ministers from the Savannah and Northern Regions, representatives of IFAD, the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the Ministry of Finance, traditional authorities, civil society groups, private sector partners, farmer-based organisations, and officials of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.

Addressing the gathering, Mr. Opoku described PROSPER as “one of Ghana’s most strategic and transformative agricultural initiatives,” adding that the programme represents a defining moment in the country’s resolve to build a resilient, climate-smart, and inclusive agricultural sector.

$147.3 Million Investment to Transform Rural Ghana

The Minister disclosed that PROSPER is backed by a total investment of $147.3 million, out of which the Government of Ghana is contributing $22.5 million, while the remaining funding is provided by IFAD and the GCF.

The project targets nine regions—Eastern, Bono East, Oti, Bono, Northern, Savannah, North-East, Upper East, and Upper West—with seven districts selected in each region for initial rollout.

According to Mr. Opoku, these regions were chosen due to their high agricultural potential and vulnerability to climate risks. The project is expected to directly benefit 100,000 rural households, with an additional 320,000 indirect beneficiaries, totalling 420,000 people across the country.

Three Components to Drive Rural Transformation

Mr Opoku outlined the project’s three key components:

1. Strengthening Rural Institutions & Community Infrastructure

This includes feeder roads, boreholes, markets, post-harvest storage facilities, toilets, and start-up kits for economically active persons with disabilities.

Capacity building for cooperatives and rural enterprises also forms a major part of this component.

2. Enhancing Economic Opportunities

The project will support climate-smart demonstration sites, market linkages, Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs), financial literacy training, a matching grants fund, and a Blended Finance Facility offering affordable credit at below 10% interest.

3. Effective Coordination & Operational Efficiency

This component ensures that resources are well managed and investments yield maximum impact.

The PROSPER initiative is strongly aligned with the government’s flagship Feed Ghana Programme. Priority value chains include maize, rice, soybeans, cashew, vegetables, poultry, and shea—all commodities central to food security, agro-industrialisation, and export growth.

Mr. Opoku emphasised that inclusivity remains a core priority, with deliberate efforts to support women, youth, vulnerable smallholders, and persons with disabilities.

The Minister highlighted PROSPER’s commitment to nutrition-sensitive agriculture through household and school gardens, demonstration of nutritious foods, distribution of biofortified seeds, and integration of nutrition into Farmer Field Schools.

He added that the project will invest heavily in rural infrastructure—feeder roads, culverts, boreholes, small irrigation facilities, solar-powered systems, and climate-smart processing units—to reduce post-harvest losses and strengthen climate resilience.

Furthermore, PROSPER will support watershed restoration, erosion control, tree planting, agroforestry and sustainable land management to safeguard communities from droughts, floods, and land degradation.

One of the project’s major interventions is improving market access for smallholder farmers through strengthened value chains, organised market linkages, and partnerships with private agribusinesses.

The project will also collaborate with GIRSAL, ARB Apex Bank, and the Bank of Ghana to improve access to affordable financing for rural enterprises. “For many who have long been excluded from formal financing, PROSPER brings renewed hope and economic dignity,” Hon. Opoku said.

The Minister expressed profound appreciation to IFAD, the GCF, the Ministry of Finance, regional and district authorities, traditional leaders, civil society organisations, and private-sector partners for their collaborative effort in driving the project.

He reaffirmed that the project belongs to the farmers themselves—women, men, youth, and persons with disabilities—describing them as “partners in building a stronger, more resilient agricultural economy.”

With confidence in the country’s agricultural potential and the commitment of all stakeholders, Mr. Opoku formally declared the PROSPER Project launched, urging collective effort to ensure the programme delivers lasting prosperity across rural Ghana.