Trade, Agribusiness and Industry Minister Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare has praised Guinness Ghana Breweries Plc for deepening local raw material sourcing, describing the company’s agribusiness linkages as critical to strengthening domestic value chains and supporting rural incomes.
The minister made the commendation during high-level engagements with the brewer on Tuesday, February 4, 2026, noting that Guinness Ghana’s use of locally produced sorghum and maize aligns with the government’s strategy to leverage agriculture-led industrialization.
Guinness Ghana disclosed that it purchases between 25,000 and 30,000 tonnes of sorghum annually, working directly and indirectly with more than 40,000 smallholder farmers. The sourcing programme supports tens of thousands of farmers, particularly in northern Ghana, where smallholder agriculture remains a key source of livelihoods.
The company has also invested in storage infrastructure to reduce post-harvest losses and improve supply reliability, reinforcing the broader agribusiness ecosystem. The brewer sources raw materials from farmers across the Upper East, Upper West, Northern, Savannah, and Bono East regions.
According to a 2024 impact assessment, maize farmers saw their average real incomes nearly triple from GH₵2,194.15 in 2017 to GH₵6,147.95 in 2023. Sorghum farmers experienced a more than fourfold increase from GH₵957.30 to GH₵4,373.96 over the same period.
Ofosu-Adjare emphasized that agribusiness remains a top government priority, noting that industries anchored in local agriculture help Ghana maximize its comparative advantage while reducing import dependence.
The minister assured the company of government readiness to engage promptly on emerging challenges, including constraints in raw material supply, and encouraged sustained dialogue to support long-term growth.
The engagement aims to deepen backward linkages between manufacturing and agriculture, boost domestic value addition, stabilize supply chains, and expand employment across the agribusiness sector.
Guinness Ghana has partnered with SNV Netherlands Development Organization to empower over 12,500 smallholder and commercial farmers, including women and youth, to produce 72,375 metric tonnes of sorghum from 2023 to 2028 under the Partnership for Sustainable Sorghum Sourcing in Ghana project.
The company also works with IDH Ghana, providing financial support of 300,000 United States dollars to four aggregators to support sorghum production and capacity building. The initiative has created employment for approximately 452 people directly through the local raw materials sourcing programme.
