Ghana’s Harnessing Agricultural Productivity and Prosperity for Youth (HAPPY) programme has created more than 8,000 jobs since inception through December 2025, demonstrating strong returns on a United States dollar 35.7 million investment focused on youth employment in agriculture.
The initiative, led by Agri-Impact Limited in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, has trained approximately 10,000 value-chain actors and supported poultry production valued at United States dollar 4.6 million, delivering 7,500 metric tonnes of broiler meat while generating revenues of United States dollar 25.2 million.
Programme partners disclosed these outcomes during a Northern Regional stakeholder workshop on Ghana’s Poultry Sector Master Plan held Tuesday in Tamale, bringing together poultry sector representatives from five northern regions. The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), through its Animal Production Directorate, organized the event in partnership with Agri-Impact Limited and the Mastercard Foundation under the theme “Deepening Impact, Transitioning Youth into Dignified and Fulfilling Work.”
HAPPY is a four-year integrated agricultural value-chain programme running from 2023 to 2027, designed to reduce Ghana’s average annual food import bill of approximately United States dollar 2 billion. The programme prioritizes creating dignified and sustainable employment for young people, particularly women and persons with disabilities.
The initiative focuses on four value chains: rice, soybean, tomato and poultry, targeting more than 400,000 beneficiaries. Programme goals include placing approximately 326,000 young people into work, with women accounting for 70 percent of placements, while raising productivity by 28 percent in rice, 42 percent in soybean and 44 percent in tomato production.
A consultant has been engaged to develop a comprehensive Poultry Sector Master Plan for Ghana through nationwide stakeholder consultations. The plan will provide a data-driven roadmap to reduce import dependence, strengthen competitiveness, create jobs for youth and women, and guide public and private investment across the value chain.
The master plan development process will validate baseline insights on poultry value-chain competitiveness, identify binding constraints, assess policy and infrastructure needs, and establish investment priorities. Stakeholder inputs through focus group discussions and syndicate sessions will inform the final implementation roadmap.
Northern Regional Director of the Department of Agriculture, Hajia Hawa Mush, commended Agri-Impact Limited and the Mastercard Foundation for making agriculture more attractive to young people. “The poultry sector occupies a strategic position in Ghana’s food and nutrition security agenda as a critical source of affordable animal protein, a driver of rural livelihoods and a sector with immense job-creation potential,” she stated.
Mush noted that the master plan would address longstanding challenges in the sector and curb poultry product imports, adding that Northern Region was well positioned to become a significant contributor to national poultry production with appropriate investments and partnerships.
National President of the Ghana National Association of Poultry Farmers, George Dassah, called for effective and efficient policies free from political interference to ensure sustainable industry growth. He described the master plan formulation as a step in the right direction, noting it would provide direction and stability for poultry farmers nationwide.
Deputy Director at MoFA’s Animal Production Directorate, Ricky Aboagye Poku, acknowledged persistent challenges despite the sector’s potential, stating that effective programme implementation would help grow the industry and enable government to generate revenue for development.
Business Development and Research Manager at Agri-Impact Limited, Prince Manu Yeboah, emphasized that Ghana’s agricultural sector remained rich in untapped potential. He noted that the HAPPY Programme, aligned with national food security and industrialization strategies, targets more than 46,000 graduates and complements other youth-focused initiatives in entrepreneurship, education and information and communication technology.
Implementing partners include the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Newage Agric Solutions Limited, Ghana Enterprises Agency, TechnoServe, the Millennium Development Authority, National Service Authority, Catholic Relief Services and Jobberman.
The programme represents part of broader government efforts to modernize agriculture and address youth unemployment through mechanization, agro-processing and value chain development.
