The Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) PLC has introduced a dedicated lending scheme for smallholder vegetable farmers to address financing constraints and increase domestic food production. The Green-Grow Vegetable Farmers Lending Scheme is designed to provide eligible farmers with structured credit to purchase essential inputs, improve productivity and expand their farming operations.
First phase
In its first phase, the bank has selected and disbursed funds to eligible smallholder vegetable farmers operating under irrigation in the Greater Accra and Volta Regions.
ADB says it plans to extend the initiative to other parts of the country as it seeks to strengthen agricultural financing and support commercially viable farming enterprises.
Farmer engagements
The scheme follows engagements with vegetable farmers in selected communities across the Greater Accra, Eastern and Volta Regions. Those discussions identified financing gaps among irrigated producers with established farming experience and market connections.
Rationale
ADB Managing Director, Edward Ato Sarpong said the initiative formed part of the bank’s commitment to directing investment toward productive sectors, particularly agriculture.
He said Ghana’s agricultural transformation required deliberate financing interventions that would enable farmers to increase production, improve earnings and contribute to national development. According to him, the Green-Grow initiative reflects ADB’s efforts to develop commercially sustainable lending products that respond directly to the needs of agricultural producers.
Bridging value-chain financing gaps
The Deputy Managing Director in charge of Services, Professor Ferdinand Makafui Ahiakpor, said the scheme was intended to bridge financing gaps across the agricultural value chain by making credit more accessible and responsive to the realities of smallholder farmers.
He explained that the structured lending arrangement would link financing to farmers’ production activities while ensuring responsible credit management and repayment sustainability.
Financing constraints identified
The General Manager for Agribusiness at ADB, Kwame Asiedu Attrams, said field assessments had revealed significant production potential among irrigated vegetable farmers, but their operations were constrained by inadequate financing and the high cost of credit. He said the scheme would support farmers with viable production activities to improve yields, expand operations and respond to emerging market opportunities.
Eligibility and expected impact
The initial phase will concentrate on vegetable production, with lending decisions guided by factors including access to irrigation, farming experience, group cohesion and satisfactory credit history.
ADB said the initiative was expected to strengthen local vegetable production, improve farmers’ economic opportunities and support the development of a more resilient agricultural sector. The bank described the scheme as part of its broader strategy to expand agricultural financing and support the growth of sustainable agribusinesses across the country.
