The Government of Ghana received a loan from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and African Development Bank (AfDB) towards the cost of implementing the Northern Rural Growth Programme (NRGP). The target area of NRGP comprises the three regions of Northern Ghana (Upper West, Upper East, and Northern) and five districts of the Brong Ahafo region contiguous to the Northern region. NRGP is an eight-year integrated pro-poor socio-economic development programme driven by the Value Chain Approach (VCA) in four commodity windows.

The VCA is a private sector driven economic growth and poverty reduction strategy. The commodity windows are:
i. The Industrial Crops Window (soya, maize, sorghum)
ii. The Fruits and Vegetables Window (Papaya, okra, chilli)
iii. The Women’s Crops Window (Shea, sesame, moringa)
iv. The Animals Window (Guinea fowl, small ruminants)

The industrial crops commodity window (soya, maize, and sorghum) has been selected for focus based on its market potential, financial viability, high outreach (potential to be grown in nearly all areas in northern Ghana), and low risk (farmers familiarity with the production technology).
In each of these chains, the programme is to develop efficient, transparent, and sustainable contractual business relationships between and among the value chain actors and service providers. The objective is to transform the structure and dynamics of the production and marketing of each of these crops. This should eventually lead to efficiency, increased productivity and production and ‘transformation and modernization’ of the agricultural sector. The critical actors in these chains are the farmers, input dealers, agricultural mechanization service providers, aggregators/buyers, agro-processors/industries, and consumers. Other essential service providers that fuel the process are financial institutions and technical service providers.

Essential to the success of these chains is the organization and support to farmers (small, medium, and large scale) not only to become efficient producers but also as full, knowledgeable, and active stakeholders in the value chain. This is in recognition of their critical and yet currently weak organization and role in the three commodities value chains. The programme will organize, strengthen and link these farmers to markets and other actors in the chain.

Role of the Facilitating Agency- ACDEP
ACDEP is the Facilitating Agency (FA) for the industrial crop window (soybeans, sorghum and maize) under the NRGP. This is being implemented all districts in the three northern regions and selected districts of the Brong Ahafo Region contiguous to the Northern region.

The FA is to:
(a) Facilitate the participation of commodity stakeholders in the development and implementation of the CBPs for the industrial crops and
(b) Assist in the strengthening of producer organizations and establishment of inter-professional bodies.