The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has signed a formal agreement between India’s agricultural research body and Ghana’s national crops institute to collaborate on farm research, technology sharing and training. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), based in New Delhi, and the Crops Research Institute (CSIR-CRI) in Accra, Ghana, inked the Memorandum of Understanding on 7 October 2026. The signing was witnessed by India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar and Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister H.E. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
Key facts
- Duration: Five-year partnership
- Indian agency: Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi
- Ghanaian partner: Crops Research Institute (CSIR-CRI), Accra
- Commercial partner: Arima Farms Ltd., Ghana
- Focus crops in first phase: Tomato, cassava, yam and other tuber crops
- Key areas: Joint research, technology transfer, capacity building, post-harvest management
- Oversight: Joint Working Group with meetings in New Delhi and Accra
What the partnership covers
The five-year agreement creates a formal framework for India and Ghana to work together on agricultural science and technology. The partnership is structured around four main areas: joint research projects, exchange of expertise and materials, capacity building through training and education, and commercial application of agricultural technologies.
The initial phase will concentrate on vegetable farming, particularly tomato cultivation. India will help Ghana develop and introduce high-yielding tomato varieties suited to local growing conditions. The goal is to boost domestic tomato production across Ghana to improve food security and farm incomes.
The agreement also addresses post-harvest challenges, a major cause of crop loss in developing countries. ICAR will provide technical support and training in cold storage facilities, refrigerated transport systems, sorting, grading and food processing technologies. These improvements aim to reduce the volume of crops lost after harvest and enable farmers to add value through processing.
Beyond tomatoes, the collaboration extends to cassava and yam, crops widely grown in Ghana. The partnership will focus on processing these tuber crops and creating value-added products, which can help build stronger agricultural supply chains and create more income opportunities for farmers.
How the partnership will work
The MoU provides for regular exchange of scientists and technicians between ICAR and CSIR-CRI. Both countries will share plant breeding materials, seeds of new varieties, research data, technical methods and knowledge developed through their work. This two-way flow allows Ghana to benefit from India’s decades of agricultural research while India gains insights from work in West African farming systems.
A Joint Working Group, made up of representatives from both institutes, will oversee the partnership. This group will monitor progress, solve problems and decide next steps. The group will meet regularly, alternating between New Delhi and Accra to ensure both partners remain engaged and accountable.
Arima Farms Ltd., a Ghanaian company, has been named as the commercial partner. This means the company will help bridge the gap between research and real-world farming by testing new varieties and technologies and bringing them to market where farmers can use them.
What this means for you
If you are a farmer in Ghana, this partnership could eventually bring you improved crop varieties that produce higher yields and better-quality harvests. Training in post-harvest management could help you reduce losses and earn more from what you grow.
For agricultural scientists and technicians in either country, the agreement opens opportunities to collaborate on research and gain experience working on farming challenges in different regions.
For agricultural students and researchers in India, the partnership demonstrates India’s role as a knowledge provider in agricultural science to other developing nations, particularly in Africa, reflecting India’s wider commitment to South-South cooperation and India-Africa ties.