Ghana secures Canadian support to strengthen farming in the North

GHANA – Ghana will receive US$13 million from Canada to support women farmers in the northern part of the country.

The funding sits under a new program called Climate Resilient Livelihoods for Women in Northern Ghana. Global Affairs Canada will provide 96 percent of the money, while private partners will provide the remaining 4 percent.

Opportunity International Canada, which is headquartered in Toronto, will run the program together with Sinapi Aba, a major microfinance institution headquartered in Kumasi. They will work together for six years. They aim to help small farmers improve their output and protect their incomes from climate-related shocks.

Training and financial support

The program team will train 200 local agricultural agents who will guide women farmers on climate-smart methods. The training will focus on simple and practical knowledge, including real-time weather updates that help farmers plan their planting and harvesting. The managers believe this approach will raise yields and reduce losses during dry spells.

The program also plans to expand credit access. It will introduce new loan products and farm insurance options that respond to weather conditions. This support will help women invest in their fields and safeguard their income when the weather shifts without warning.

The press statement notes: “As part of CLIMB, Sinapi Aba will implement innovative financial products, such as affordable loans and weather-linked crop insurance, to help women invest in their farms and protect themselves against climate risks.”

The program aims to strengthen the livelihoods of 14,500 smallholder farmers and 500 agribusinesses. The expected reach stands at more than 315,000 people across the targeted areas.

Climate pressure on Ghana’s farming

Agriculture in Ghana accounts for 20 percent of GDP and employs about 35 percent of the working population. Most small farmers still rely on rainfall. That setup exposes them to long dry periods that often cut yields.

Drought episodes in 2023 and 2024 caused losses worth 22.2 billion cedis (approx US$2 billion) in the cereal sector, according to the Ghana Grain Council.

The new funding comes at a time when government agencies, farmer groups, and development partners continue to look for ways to strengthen food systems. Canada said it plans to support more work in northern Ghana over the coming years.

Program partners say they will focus on both training and finance because these two areas can help farmers handle climate shifts more effectively.

Canada’s announcement signals growing international interest in supporting women farmers in West Africa. Program leaders say they expect the first activities to begin soon, once local teams finish early planning and community outreach.

Sign up to receive our email newsletters with the latest news updates and insights from Africa and the World HERE.