Tilly’s Farm is deepening its investment in Ghana’s pork value chain through capacity building and strategic partnerships aimed at boosting local production and supporting smallholder pig farmers. The company hosted the 2025 Porktober Farmer Training on October 9, bringing together 30 pig farmers from across the country for hands on learning designed to enhance productivity, profitability, and sustainability in pig farming.
The training, held in collaboration with DanBred Africa, Stanbic Bank Ghana, and the Pig Farmers Association of Ghana, focused on practical topics including pig genetics, farm economics, and access to financial solutions tailored for agribusiness growth. The event forms part of Porktober, Tilly’s Farm’s annual celebration of Ghana’s pork industry and agricultural innovation held every October.
“Our growth as a business is tied to the growth of others,” said Maxwell Hammond, Co founder and Managing Director of Tilly’s Farm. “By equipping farmers with the right tools, knowledge and partnerships, we are helping bridge Ghana’s meat production deficit and strengthening the future of local agriculture.”
Participants benefited from expert sessions led by Jurgens Reynders of DanBred Africa, who shared strategies on improving herd genetics and operational efficiency. “At DanBred, we believe that knowledge transfer is the cornerstone of sustainable livestock production,” Reynders noted. “Supporting Ghanaian farmers with world class breeding and management systems will help raise standards across the industry.”
DanBred is a leading international pig breeding company known for its focus on genetic improvement and sustainable pig production. The company’s involvement in the training underscores the importance of introducing advanced breeding techniques to Ghanaian pig farmers to improve productivity and meat quality.
Financial inclusion was also a central focus of the day. Samuel Okang Boye, Head of Agriculture at Stanbic Bank Ghana, highlighted tailored financial products designed to meet the needs of pig farmers. “Agriculture remains a critical pillar of Ghana’s economy,” he said. “Stanbic is committed to providing accessible financing that enables farmers to expand operations, adopt modern technologies and increase output sustainably.”
Access to finance has been identified as one of the major challenges facing smallholder livestock farmers in Ghana. The partnership with Stanbic Bank aims to address this gap by providing credit facilities and financial literacy training to help farmers scale their operations and invest in improved production systems.
Stakeholders from the Animal Research Institute and the Pig Farmers Association of Ghana also joined the discussions, demonstrating the importance of collaboration in advancing the pork sector. The Animal Research Institute, under the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), provides technical support and research backed solutions for livestock farmers across Ghana.
The training concluded with the signature Tilly’s Farm experience featuring shared stories, networking, and a taste of locally produced Kpakpo shito sausages and fresh pork pies. “Tilly’s Farm continues to demonstrate that empowering farmers is key to achieving national food security,” Hammond added. “When local producers thrive, the entire value chain becomes stronger.”
Tilly’s Farm has been raising pigs for over a decade and currently works with a network of smallholder pig farmers to deliver quality, nutritious pork at affordable prices to the local Ghanaian market. The farm, located at Mlolo Trom near Somanya in the Yilo Krobo Municipality of the Eastern Region, operates a farrow to finish system that includes all phases of pig production from breeding to market weight.
The company has distinguished itself in Ghana’s agricultural sector through various awards and recognitions, including winning the General category in the Believe Begin Become business plan competition sponsored by the Google Foundation and organized by TechnoServe. Maxwell Hammond, who started the farm in 2005 with his national service allowances, has grown the operation into a leading pork producer in Ghana.
Beyond farmer training, Tilly’s Farm’s Porktober celebrations include educational initiatives for students. More than 200 students from Ghanata and Achimota Schools participated in a two day agricultural learning experience earlier in October, featuring field trips and career day events aimed at inspiring the next generation of agricultural entrepreneurs.
Ghana faces a significant meat production deficit, with local production unable to meet domestic demand. The country imports substantial quantities of meat products annually, creating opportunities for local producers to expand operations and reduce import dependence. Tilly’s Farm’s capacity building initiatives align with national efforts to boost domestic meat production and enhance food security.
The company’s approach of working with out grower pig farmers helps include smallholders in the pork value chain while ensuring quality standards are maintained. Tilly’s Farm provides technical assistance to improve production quality and guarantees purchase of produce from trained farmers, creating a sustainable business model that benefits both the company and smallholder farmers.
As Ghana’s agricultural sector continues to attract investment and innovation, initiatives like the Porktober Farmer Training demonstrate the potential for private sector led capacity building to drive transformation in livestock production. The collaboration between agribusiness, financial institutions, research organizations, and farmer associations represents a holistic approach to addressing challenges in the pork value chain.
