The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) has announced significant progress on a proposed legislative bill aimed at strengthening Ghana’s agricultural extension services, a move expected to improve productivity, food security, and farmer support nationwide.
According to ministry officials, the proposed legislation seeks to establish a modern legal framework that clearly defines the responsibilities of agricultural extension officers while improving coordination between government agencies, research institutions, and farmers.
Agriculture remains one of Ghana’s largest employers, contributing significantly to national food production and rural livelihoods. However, experts have long argued that the country’s extension services suffer from inadequate staffing, limited logistics, outdated training methods, and insufficient funding.
The proposed bill is expected to address these longstanding challenges by providing better training opportunities for extension officers, expanding the use of digital technologies, strengthening farmer education programmes, and improving access to modern farming techniques.
MoFA believes stronger extension services will help farmers increase crop yields, adopt climate-smart agricultural practices, improve pest management, and enhance post-harvest handling, ultimately reducing food losses and boosting national agricultural output.
Farmer groups have welcomed the initiative, describing it as a timely intervention capable of improving productivity while supporting government’s broader food security agenda.
The ministry says stakeholder consultations will continue before the bill is submitted to Parliament for consideration.
