In a demonstration of its commitment to provide and build capacity for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Ghana, Development Bank Ghana (DBG) launched the Value Chain Stakeholder Dialogue Series in March and proceeded to engage the stakeholders in a number of sessions.

Among the priority sectors of DBG, the agriculture-agribusiness sector is an extremely crucial part of the Bank’s core business. With food prices trending upward worldwide, the World Bank ranked Ghana as the country with the highest food prices in Sub-Saharan Africa. DBG and its key partners however share in the belief that addressing market failures in these critical food supply chains (i.e., maize, soya, poultry, and rice) through sustainable agricultural financing, policy, and regulatory reforms will ensure food security, reduce dependence on imports, create jobs (with particular attention to Sustainable Development Goal 5 ), and create long-term opportunities for Ghana to become a net exporter of grains and poultry. In addition, DBG plans to provide funding and risk-sharing facilities to MSMEs and Small Corporates through participating financial institutions.

While speaking at the Sunyani and Kumasi stakeholders’ events which focused on soya, maize and poultry, Dr Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong, DBG’s Chief Economist, reiterated the Bank’s willingness to catalyse the Ghanaian economy and had identified 12 key businesses within the soya and maize value chain. The maize and soya workshops had 6 major development partners (GIRSAL, Mastercard Foundation and ACET) and over 80 individuals from the crop associations participating.

The last session in this series will be held in Sogakope from 20th-22nd March and it will focus on the rice value chain.

DBG is a Development Finance Institution that acts as an enabler for businesses in Ghana and as a long-term capital provider in the market. It ensures that sustainable, global best practices are applied across its operations. DBG has the vision to accelerate inclusive and sustainable economic transformation by fostering the growth of a competitive private sector. DBG commenced operations in November 2021.