Accra, Ghana//-World Bank says it is considering adding $30 million to close the gap to complete all the irrigation schemes and inland valleys identified for rehabilitation and development under the West Africa Food System Resilience Program (FSRP) to enhance irrigation farming and the overall agriculture productivity in Ghana.
The World Bank Regional Vice President for Western and Central Africa, Ousmane Diagana disclosed this during his tour at the Kpong Irrigation System (KIS) and Kpong Left Bank Irrigation System (KLBIS) sites: “There’s a $30 million funding gap to see the full completion of this project”.
He continued: “We are a longstanding partner for Ghana in every area, and we will be happy of course to consider adding financing if necessary. So, this is possible”.
The Bank with its Agriculture and Food Global Practice (AGF) had been working with Ghana’s Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) and its directorates including the Ghana Irrigation Development Authority (GIDA) discussing the possible support for the funding gap.
Mr Diagana was impressed with the schemes’ achievements in rice production, saying: “The project management team informed me that productivity has reached nearly six tonnes per hectare, which is commendable”.
If we can push toward seven tonnes per hectare, it would demonstrate the optimal use of resources. That said, there is still room to scale up these gains”.
Mr Diagana used the visit to reiterate the World Bank’s commitment to supporting initiatives like KIS and KLBIS, acknowledging the vital role of agriculture in driving job creation and ensuring food security.
He noted that agriculture is the engine of employment. So, scaling up production is essential, not only to reduce Ghana’s dependence on rice imports but also to redirect funds toward critical infrastructure.
Mr Diagana also underscored the importance of regional collaboration, given the country’s strategic location, adding: “There is an opportunity to connect Ghana’s agricultural progress with efforts in Sahelian countries. This will enhance production and foster economic growth for Ghana and its neighbours”.
The Regional Vice President and his large entourage later visited Golden Exotics Limited (GEL), Ghana’s major exporter of fresh bananas to the European Union (EU) market and some parts of Africa to familiarise the operations of the company. GEL is operating under KLBIS where other several large commercial agribusiness companies operate.
In a brief presentation on the scope of rehabilitation works, outcomes and future of agribusiness at the project site situated at Asutuare in the Greater Accra Region, FSRP’s Operations Manager, Philip Daniel Laryea the $22.5 million programme had led to the rehabilitation and modernisation of KIS, covering approximately 1,000 hectares.
It also supports the revision of the National Irrigation Policy and the preparation of a five-year Strategic Action Plan to enhance sustainable management for public irrigation schemes and provide a national action plan for implementation.
He added that the programme is also concluding feasibility and engineering design studies, Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIA) and dam safety assessments for three additional key dams and irrigation schemes covering 2,000 hectares.
Mr Laryea added that the inland valley development is also a focus, with draft feasibility studies for 20 floodplain sites totalling 7,000 hectares completed and under review.
He explained that as part of the programme, $50 million has been earmarked for irrigation works, including the development of inland valleys and the rehabilitation of irrigation schemes.
Before at KIS and KLBIS, there were 3,690 hectares of underperforming (choked and flooding) area benefitting 1,867 smallholder farmers and 10 agribusiness farmers including Golden Exotics Limited (GEL) and after the rehabilitation, 7,340 hectares were brought under optimal performance for 3,500 smallholder farmers in 30 communities at KIS and over 15 commercial farms at KLBIS.
The land brought under irrigation and developed under KLBIS was for large commercial agribusiness, while the land rehabilitated under KIS supported smallholder rice farmers with climate-smart water technologies up to the field level.
Farmers were provided other climate-smart technologies and inputs as well as organisation and access to markets.
Instinctively, the FSRP initiative being the successor of the Ghana Commercial Agriculture Project (GCAP) is a Government of Ghana and World Bank-funded programme being implemented under the auspices of ECOWAS.
The FSRP highlights the World Bank’s critical role in bolstering Ghana’s agricultural sustainability and food security.
