UN provides $22 million boost for poor Ghanaian farmers

The United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) today announced a $22 million loan to Ghana to boost the livelihoods of over 100,000 households in the West African nation.

The funds from IFAD are part of a larger $103 million initiative targeted at achieving sustainable livelihoods for poor people in rural areas, especially small farmers, women and vulnerable groups in northern Ghana.

The Northern Rural Growth Programme seeks to enhance the incomes of rural residents. Some 45,000 households will be directly supported, and it is hoped that more than double that amount will benefit from improved infrastructure.

The scheme aims to improve access to financial services and increase investment to protect against post-harvest losses. Additionally, irrigation systems will be enhanced.

It is a direct response to the three poverty divides in Ghana: rural-urban, north-south and gender.