GHANA – Former Ghana President John Agyekum Kufuor has rallied support behind Coffee Incubator Program aimed at enhancing coffee production and job creation along the Akuapem Ridge, Ghana.
Kufuor expressed his endorsement during the launch of a pilot coffee incubator program in Akropong, Eastern Region. The initiative, outlined in a project brief, aims to de-risk coffee cultivation, reduce entry barriers for the youth, and promote large-scale production for export.
The project is led by Asili Coffee Purveyors Limited, with support from the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), GIZ, International Trade Centre (ITC), and Opportunity International, among others.
Confident in the project’s potential impact, Kufuor envisioned the Akuapem Ridge becoming a hub for coffee production, creating opportunities for farmers and stakeholders along the value chain.
Drawing a historical parallel, he said, “The Akuapem Ridge seems to contain very special attributes. It was this same Ridge that Tetteh Quarshie introduced cocoa seedlings, and through that, Ghana became the number one producer of cocoa.”
The former President highlighted the immense potential for coffee cultivation in the Akuapem enclave, emphasizing that scaling up production, similar to the successful cocoa industry, could significantly contribute to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The Akuapem area, boasting over 100,000 tenable acres and a population of approximately 250,000, with 65% being youth, is poised to benefit from this coffee initiative.
Asili Coffee Purveyors Founder, John Nana Addo Francois, outlined the program’s features, including access to free coffee seedlings, training, capacity building, and a guaranteed market for farmers’ yields.
John said, “If the coffee crop is integrated effectively into society long term, at optimal operational levels and with efficient maintenance, each acre represents a minimum of US$1000 in earnings potential. Annually, commercial income of US$100,000,000 can be generated in the Akuapem area.”
Statista projects the Ghanaian coffee market to grow annually by 13.38% (CAGR 2024-2028), driven by a surge in demand for specialty coffee with unique flavor profiles.
The global coffee market, valued at USD 127 billion in 2022, is expected to witness a compound annual growth rate of 4.72% from 2023 to 2030.
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