The HAPPY Programme, an initiative of Mastercard Foundation in partnership with Agri-Impact Limited, aims to create 326,000 dignified jobs for Ghanaian youth, particularly women and persons with disabilities in agriculture within four years (2023-2027).

It is being implemented by a consortium that includes TechnoServe, Newage Agric Solutions, National Service Authority, Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Ghana Enterprises Agency, Catholic Relief Services among others.

The HAPPY Programme will focus on boosting productivity in the rice, tomato, soybean and poultry value chains.

Madam Juliana Asante-Dartey, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Agri-Impact, speaking at the opening of the two-day kickoff event in Kumasi, explained that the event was to ensure the agribusinesses and microbusinesses understood the consortium’s especially, TechnoServe role in the Programme as well as support drive to growth and development.

It was also for agribusinesses to understand their critical role in creating job opportunities for youth in alignment of the programme’s objectives and to provide clear guidance on the grant application processes ensuring that businesses well-informed to participate.

Madam Asante-Dartey described rice, poultry, tomato and soybean as value chains heavily impacted by imports although Ghana was working hard to become self-sufficient in these commodities.

She said the goal of the Programme was to improve productivity by 22 per cent for these value chains, produce about 8 million broilers to help close the gap on poultry imports and increase our food production by 189,000 metric tonnes by 2027.

It is targeting to reduce import bill by $2,000,000, she added.

Mr. Daniel Ninson, Agriculture Lead for the Mastercard Foundation, indicated that the Foundation was poised to work with business leaders to strengthen ecosystems where young people could thrive.

He said “it is an undeniable fact that agriculture remains one of Ghana’s largest employers, yet many young people see it as unattractive or inaccessible.

HAPPY is changing that narrative – unlocking opportunities across the agricultural value chain: from processing to logistics, distribution to input supply, agritech solutions to climate-smart farming”, he explained.

Mr. Frank Obiora Mgbemena, HAPPY Programme Director, TechnoServe, said over the next two years, TechnoServe would work alongside with businesses to support business re-engineering efforts by providing technical assistance, grants, market linkages, crop insurance services, and developing financial resilience of your businesses to attract more investment.