By Elham Salifu
The Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA) has taken a decisive step toward revitalizing regional agriculture by empowering 150 young enterprise operators in Berekum with specialized start-up packages aimed at revolutionizing local tomato production and processing.
Led by GEA Chief Executive Officer Margaret Ansei, the distribution exercise was executed under the Harnessing Agricultural Productivity and Prosperity for Youth (HAPPY) Programme, an initiative structured to transition informal farming activities into profitable, commercial ventures across the Bono Region.
Speaking at the presentation, GEA Chief Executive Officer Margaret Ansei underscored that strategic investments in local agricultural value chains are vital to reducing rural unemployment and strengthening Ghana’s food resilience.
“Our focus is to transform agricultural potential into commercial success for the youth,” Mrs. Ansei noted. “Providing these 150 beneficiaries with practical tools and startup assets enables them to move beyond subsistence farming, scale up production, and drive enterprise growth in their communities.”
Local agricultural leaders welcomed the initiative, highlighting how access to dedicated tools and training directly addresses historical operational bottlenecks in the tomato sector.
“For years, limited equipment and post-harvest challenges restricted the growth of tomato producers in Berekum,” a spokesperson for the local farmers’ network explained. “This support from the GEA equips our young people with the resources needed to boost yields, supply market demand, and build resilient agribusinesses.”
The GEA’s HAPPY Programme continues to deploy targeted interventions across major agricultural zones in Ghana, focusing on youth empowerment, enterprise training, and value-chain development.
