TOWARD INCLUSIVE AGRICULTURE- LED ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION of the NORTHERN SAVANNAH ZONE of GHANA Lifting the Savannah, Lifting Ghana
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TOWARD INCLUSIVE AGRICULTURE- LED ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION OF THE NORTHERN SAVANNAH ZONE OF GHANA Lifting the Savannah, Lifting Ghana December 2016 Savannah Accelerated sada Development Authority ©2016-12 Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) Prepared by the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) 2016-12 Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) Lamaseghu, Industrial Area, Tamale, Northern Region, Ghana House # 16, 5th Link, Cantonments, Opposite American Embassy, Accra, Ghana +233 372 028 997 [email protected] i FOREWORD The SADA Zone holds major agricultural promise that – when harnessed – will not only make the country highly secure and less dependent on imports, but more importantly transform the lives of the zone's inhabitants quite significantly -- the zone currently records lower performances in all major indices of socio-economic performance compared to the naonal average,” Charles Abugre, CEO, SADA. From Commercial Agriculture Investment Guide: The Northern Savannah Ecological Zone of Ghana, published by SADA. “The vision of SADA is to see a transformed Northern Savannah Ecological Zone; a place of opportunity and free from poverty. SADA aims to achieve this vision through coordinaon, collaboraon and facilitaon. SADA's key values are: Sustainability, Professionalism, Integrity and Accountability, Respect for Diversity and Gender, Impact, and Trust.” Charles Abugre, CEO, SADA. From Commercial Agriculture Investment Guide: The Northern Savannah Ecological Zone of Ghana, published by SADA. “The agricultural potenal of the SADA Zone, mainly its large-scale irrigaon possibilies, is largely untapped. The SADA Zone with at least 8 million unused or underulized ha of agricultural land with highly suitable soils, is open for a massive ulizaon of the regions land and water resources for large- scale irrigated farming, development of modern agro-industry value chains, including vegetable oils, rice, sugar, coon, cassava, shea, high value tree crops and vegetables among others. There are at least USD 2 billion in annual food imports that can be substuted with domesc producon, including rice, sugar, chicken meat, and edible oils.” From Commercial Agriculture Investment Guide: The Northern Savannah Ecological Zone of Ghana, published by SADA. “SADA's priority focus includes Agricultural Modernizaon, Infrastructure and Irrigaon Development, Development of Manufacturing and Industrial Zones, Mining and Natural Resource Development, Urban Modernizaon, Investment Promoon, and Business Facilitaon and Stewardship. SADA stands ready to support every investor; to work with other state organizaons to navigate the necessary regulatory processes to be able to realize their objecve of successful investment in the SADA Zone.” Charles Abugre, CEO, SADA. From Commercial Agriculture Investment Guide: The Northern Savannah Ecological Zone of Ghana, published by SADA. ii Table of Contents Background................................................................................................................. 1 1.0 Introducon: Planning For Agriculture-Led Economic Transformaon.......................... 2 2.0 Agricultural Potenal and Constraints In The SADA Zone............................................. 7 2.1. Potenal For Agricultural-Led Transformaon of the SADA Zone 2.2. Constraints Facing Agricultural-Led Transformaon of the SADA Zone 3.0 Internaonal Experiences In Savannah Ecological Zones.............................................. 12 4.0 Main Findings And Proposed Zones From SADA's Agricultural Master Plan.................. 15 4.1. Overview of Main Findings and Game-Changing Projects 4.2. Proposed Agricultural Value Chains 4.3. SADA's Proposed 6 Agribusiness Development Zones from Agricultural Masterplan 5.0 Agricultural Investment Workshop (Aiw) Road Map Recommendaons....................... 20 5.1. Approach 5.2. Strategic Investments 5.3. Enabling Environment and Financing 5.4. Secure Access to Land And Sustainable Land Management 5.5. Access to Seeds And Other Inputs 5.6. Risk Management 5.7. Future Role of SADA 6.0 The Way Forward........................................................................................................ 26 Annex 1: Descripon of Agribusiness Development Zones 1 To 6 from Agricultural Masterplan... 27 Annex 2: Sustainable Use Of Water Resources............................................................................... 30 Annex 3: Proposed Strategic Pillars, Framework Programs and Policy Projects from SADA's Agricultural Masterplan.................................................................................................... 33 Annex 4: Inventory of Exisng Agricultural Projects In SADA Zone................................................. 35 4.1. Introducon to NSAICU 4.2. Inventory of Exisng Projects iii List of Figures, Boxes and Tables Figure 1: SADA Zone Polical Regions and Districts..................................................................................3 Figure 2: Comparisons of Extents Of Suitable Land (Very Suitable, Suitable And Moderately Suitable) For Crop Producon Under Rain-Fed And Irrigated Condions (Million Ha)....10 Figure 4: Agribusiness Development Zones As Proposed In SADA Agricultural Masterplan.......... 18 Figure 3: Hydrographic Network and Major River Basins in the Northern Savannah Ecological Zone.....................................................................................................................................................32 Box 1: Roles of SADA........................................................................................................................................ 2 Box 2: Poverty In Northern Ghana................................................................................................................4 Box 3: Masterplan Consultants......................................................................................................................5 Box 4: SADA Vision, Goals, and Objecves: Green Economic Hub of Ghana and the Gateway To Sahel.................................................................................................................................... 6 Box 5: USAID Publicaons on Agricultural Potenal of the SADA Zone............................................... 8 Box 6: Addressing Climate Change............................................................................................................... 9 Box 7: Awakening The Sleeping African Giant...........................................................................................12 Box 8: Good Agricultural Pracces and Climate-Smart Agriculture............................................... 13 Box 9: Agricultural Clusters and Agropoles.................................................................................... 14 Box 10: Road Map to the Road Map.............................................................................................. 20 Box 11: Potenal for Flood Recession Agriculture......................................................................... 21 Box 12: SADA Land Trust.................................................................................................................................23 Box 13: Agricultural Sector Risk Assessment..............................................................................................25 Table 1: SADA's Proposed 6 Agriculture Development Zones: Main Features....................................19 iv BACKGROUND The Savannah Accelerated Development private sectors and civil society, and with His Authority (SADA has been undertaking a process Excellency President John Mahama parcipang to develop a long-term Regional Development in the closing session. The key quesons Plan that includes Regional and Agricultural addressed were: a) What is needed to make the Masterplans for development of the SADA Zone; SADA Zone aracve for private sector including projecons for the next 30 years. investments, b) How can Ghana achieve inclusive agricultural-led economic transformaon of the This booklet is a synthesis of several documents SADA Zone, and c) What are the “low-lying” short- published by SADA since January 2016. These term soluons and acons to achieve long-term documents synthesize and summarize findings of objecves? The key output of the workshop was a numerous scienfic research studies and “Road Map” of recommendaons for agricultural- consultaons with stakeholders; as part of the led economic transformaon of the SADA Zone. preparaon of the Northern Savannah See the SADA website for weblinks to the Transformaon Program. workshop agenda, parcipants, presentaons, and the Road Map presentaon received by H.E. Consultaons have been held with numerous President John Mahama. stakeholders in numerous places. The key queson addressed was: "What needs to be done, This booklet is part of the “process” to develop a priorised or done differently, in order to harness comprehensive Agricultural Development the vast resources of the zone to accelerate Program for agriculture-led economic development, transform the zone, eliminate transformaon of the SADA Zone; that is mul- extreme poverty and bridge the development gap sectoral and coordinated with development in an environmentally sustainable way in the partners and Government. This document can be shortest possible me"? viewed as a being based on a broad “consensus”, since it is the result of a long consultave process Drawing upon the Masterplan Concept Note with thousands of stakeholders. (published in January