Agricultural company, Rujo Agri-Trade, secures financing to expand their inclusive farming strategy in the northern region of Ghana.
In a significant development for rural communities and smallholder farmers in Northern Ghana, Rujo Agri-Trade Ltd, an agribusiness based in the region, has secured growth funding from RDF Ghana. The investment is set to transform the food systems of Ghana by strengthening sustainable rice and soybean farming operations, enhancing farmer productivity, and promoting climate-smart agriculture practices.
The company's farmer-centric business model offers bundled agricultural inputs, such as seeds, fertilizers, ploughing, and harvesting, through an in-kind repayment model. This approach is facilitated by a network of Farm Enterprise Advisors and Community Champions who provide localized technical support and training, improving access to quality inputs and knowledge for smallholder farmers.
With the new funding, Rujo Agri-Trade is expanding its climate-smart initiatives. These include post-harvest management improvements, crop diversification through seed multiplication, irrigated vegetable farming, and organic rice cultivation. These measures aim to enhance agricultural sustainability and resilience against climate shocks, aligning with Ghana’s broader environmental goals.
The investment also supports enhanced farmer training and extension services, with a focus on capacity building. This ensures that smallholder farmers can adopt improved agricultural practices effectively, leading to better yields and livelihood outcomes.
Rujo Agri-Trade works with over 3,000 farmers across the Northern, Savannah, and Upper East regions, focusing on underserved groups such as women and youth. The company's efforts are directed towards boosting farmer productivity and promoting sustainable agriculture practices.
John Scicchitano, Partner at Pangea Africa, which facilitated the investment, commented, "Rujo is an example of a farmer-centric business using innovation and inclusion to address systemic challenges in agriculture." He further stated, "This investment positions smallholder farmers as key players in national and regional food security."
Joshua Toatoba, CEO of Rujo Agri-Trade, commented on the funding as a strong endorsement of Rujo’s model and commitment to improving farmer livelihoods through sustainable practices. He expressed that the funding will allow Rujo to scale its rice and soybean operations, furthering its mission to transform Ghana's food systems.
This investment marks a significant step towards rural development in Northern Ghana, as it increases smallholder access to sustainable farming inputs and knowledge, promotes environmentally friendly agriculture, diversifies income sources, and fosters resilience within vulnerable communities.
- The growth funding secured by Rujo Agri-Trade Ltd will not only transform the food systems of Ghana but also promote sustainable living by strengthening rice and soybean farming operations, enhancing farmer productivity, and advocating climate-smart agriculture practices.
- The finance invested in Rujo Agri-Trade will facilitate the expansion of their climate-smart initiatives, including post-harvest management improvements, crop diversification, irrigated vegetable farming, and organic rice cultivation, all aimed at increasing agricultural sustainability and resilience against climate shocks.
- In line with Ghana’s broader environmental goals, this investment will support enhanced farmer training and extension services, focusing on capacity building to enable smallholders to effectively adopt improved agricultural practices, leading to better yields and improving their overall lifestyle.
- Rujo Agri-Trade's business model, based on offering bundled agricultural inputs and localized technical support, will impact over 3,000 farmers from rural communities across Northern, Savannah, and Upper East regions, predominantly targeting underserved groups like women and youth, thus boosting small business growth in the food-and-drink sector.
- The significant development in rural communities through this investment not only fosters resilience within vulnerable communities but also contributes to the nation's business sector by promoting environmentally friendly small businesses, ultimately contributing to a sustainable lifestyle and home-and-garden environment.
