Despite stepping down as minister to pursue his presidential ambitions, former minister of Food and Agriculture and a flagbearer hopeful for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, has won a tractor manufacturing plant deal for Ghana, which will encourage mechanised farming and boost agricultural growth.
This comes after Dr Akoto and the directors of Hattat Traktör had in-depth discussions during his recent trip to Turkey, where he also gave the keynote speech as the Special Guest of Honour at the African Investors Council Forum.
The discussions mainly centered on creating an environment that would allow the Hattat Traktör business to flourish, developing policies to safeguard and support the company, as well as issues of accessibility and affordability.
Dr Akoto noted in an interview noted, that it is about time the world sees Africa as the next big destination for investment, especially in our agricultural sector. Available data points to the fact that Africa is going to feed the world by 2050. The directors of Hattat Traktör have this data and got even more convinced during the discussions. By establishing their manufacturing plant in Ghana, they will have full access to the ECOWAS community market, and that will boost agriculture in Ghana and the West African sub-region”.
The directors of Hattat Traktör are reportedly getting ready for a visit to Ghana, where they will formally present their proposal to the government for consideration after concluding initial discussions on the investment potentials in the West African sub-region.
Hattat Traktör, which was founded in 1998, produces tractor models with a horsepower range of 50–113. It creates vehicles with cutting-edge technology and low fuel usage for efficient gardens, small-scale farming, and fields. In 2010, Hattat Traktör won prizes in Poland for tractor and cab design officer of the year. Additionally, they received recognition at the plough champion competitions in Ireland in 2011, Latvia in 2013, Moldova at the Moldagrotech Fair in 2014, and Poland with the new T4000 series in 2016.
Meanwhile, Dr Akoto has already begun some Hattat Traktör preparations in light of the significance he accords to the agricultural sector, which he has highlighted in his campaign message as the fulcrum for the development of the other sectors of the economy when the proper investments are made in the sector.
There are 3.1 million professional farmers in Ghana. While the majority of these farmers are smallholders, a few of them practise mechanised farming. According to the Institute of Statistical, Social, and Economic Research’s (ISSER) 2021 “State of Ghanaian Economy Report,” Ghana’s agricultural sector grew by 8.4% in 2021, the highest growth seen in the 4th Republic.
Additionally, it suggested that policymakers in Ghana think about diversifying employment options away from the service sector and promoting greater expansion in the agricultural sector.
To help raise the availability of mechanical power to levels that can lead to sustainable productivity, measures to import more tractors should be actively pursued as the population of the country grows.
If the Hattat Traktör agreement is finalised and the assembly facility is constructed in Ghana, mechanised farming will exponentially increase, maintaining food and nutrition security in the nation and the ECOWAS region as a whole.
Other countries in the West African sub-region are anticipated to gain from the agreement as well.