By Abdulai Zulkaninu
The Women in Food and Agricultural Forum (WOFAGRIC) and the Gold in the Soil Awards have held the 8th Women in Food and Agriculture Leadership Training Forum and Gold in the Soil Awards in Damongo in the Savannah Region. The two-day event, held from July 22 to 23, 2026, was organised by the Agrihouse Foundation in partnership with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the National Farmers and Fishermen Awards Winners Association, with support from Global Affairs Canada. The annual programme, which began in 2019, rotates among regions to build the capacity and empower rural women farmers, persons with disabilities and women-led agribusinesses.
The initiative has supported beneficiaries with essential agricultural inputs and equipment, including knapsack sprayers, tricycles, Wellington boots, fertilisers, irrigation kits and solar pumps, while exposing them to innovative approaches to farm management and agribusiness development.
The Executive Chairperson of the Agrihouse Foundation, Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa, said the initiative had groomed more than 1,000 women into leadership roles, facilitated the formation of cooperatives and supported beneficiaries to access modern farm equipment to improve productivity. She added that the programme had also contributed to the advancement of several award nominees into the National Best Farmers Awards Scheme, with some emerging as district, regional and national award winners.
The 8th edition was held on the theme: “Strengthening Rural Women Farmers’ Access to Agricultural Inputs, Mechanization, and Extension Services: The Role of Government and Development Organizations.” The training focused on addressing barriers to finance, mechanisation, agricultural inputs and extension services, while also exploring the role of Farmer Service Centres under the government’s Feed Ghana agenda.
The Savannah Regional Minister, Salisu Be-Awuribe, commended the Agrihouse Foundation and its partners for supporting women in agriculture, saying women played a crucial role in food production and related agricultural activities. He noted that the Savannah Region had vast land and several rivers and streams that could support irrigation and help agribusiness thrive, adding that women had good access to land for farming in the region. The Minister also welcomed the government’s partnership with Agrihouse Foundation, saying Farmer Service Centres would provide important opportunities for women. He, however, urged farmers to be educated on the safe and efficient use of agrochemicals to improve productivity and reduce health risks.
The Senior Development Officer and Agricultural Sector Team Lead at Global Affairs Canada, Majeed Mohammed, said despite the significant contributions women made to food production, they continued to face challenges in accessing land, finance, technology, mechanisation, markets and decision-making opportunities. He said closing these gaps was not only a matter of equity but also essential to achieving sustainable agricultural growth and food security. Mr Mohammed said Global Affairs Canada was proud to support initiatives aimed at empowering women, noting that the organisation had invested more than US$67 million in programmes supporting smallholder women farmers and women entrepreneurs, including the Modernizing Agriculture in Ghana and GROW2 programmes.
