Ghana’s Groundnut Industry Seeks Research, Seed and Private Sector Alignment to Unlock Commercial Value

Ghana’s groundnut industry is seeking stronger coordination among farmers, researchers, seed producers and processors to address production and quality challenges that limit yields, constrain industrial processing and reduce the crop’s economic potential.

Ghana’s groundnut industry is seeking stronger coordination among farmers, researchers, seed producers and processors to address production and quality challenges that limit yields, constrain industrial processing and reduce the crop’s economic potential.

Stakeholders say improving access to quality seeds, developing climate-resilient varieties and meeting market standards will be critical to increasing production, strengthening local processing and creating greater value across the groundnut supply chain.

The concerns emerged at the eighth meeting of the Ghana Groundnut Working Group (GGWG) in Tamale, where industry players explored ways to translate scientific research into practical interventions to improve productivity and strengthen commercial opportunities.

Converting Science into Productivity

The meeting, held on the theme “Converting Scientific Efforts into Increased Productivity amongst Groundnut Farmers,” brought together researchers, government agencies, seed producers, processors, development partners, academics and students.

Discussions centred on improved seed varieties, disease management, drought tolerance, post-harvest mechanisation, processing quality and market requirements, with participants highlighting the need to connect agricultural research more directly to the needs of farmers and businesses.

Dr Francis Kusi, Director of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (CSIR-SARI), said collaboration was necessary to address production constraints and improve the performance of the entire value chain.

In a speech read on his behalf by Dr Richard Oteng-Frimpong, a Research Scientist at CSIR-SARI, he said the meeting provided an opportunity for stakeholders to exchange knowledge, identify challenges and develop practical solutions.

He said addressing constraints on farmers’ fields, alongside challenges affecting processing and marketing, would be essential to building a more productive and commercially viable groundnut industry.

From Research Group to Value Chain Platform

Dr Jerry Nboyine, also a Research Scientist at CSIR-SARI, said the GGWG, established in 2019, had expanded beyond its initial research focus to include stakeholders in production, processing, marketing and policymaking.

He said the group was working towards developing a functional groundnut industry through coordinated interventions across the value chain.

Quality Standards Threaten Processing Opportunities

The private sector has also identified the quality of locally sourced groundnuts as a major concern for businesses seeking reliable supplies for processing.

Alhaji Fataw Alhassan of SM Ghana Limited said sourcing groundnuts that met buyers’ specifications remained a challenge, particularly regarding moisture content and aflatoxin contamination.

He said increasing production would not automatically translate into higher commercial value unless farmers adopted practices that ensured the crop met the quality standards required by processors and other buyers.

The concerns point to the need for investments in improved harvesting, drying, storage and post-harvest handling to reduce contamination, minimise losses and improve the marketability of locally produced groundnuts.

The aflatoxin issue is particularly consequential. Contamination has historically limited West African groundnut exports to premium markets and constrained access to formal processors, meaning that volume growth without quality improvement can leave farmers producing more while earning little more.

Research and Technology Opportunities

Researchers at the meeting outlined efforts to develop improved groundnut varieties with desirable characteristics, including early maturity, higher oil content and resistance to diseases.

They also emphasised the importance of producing and multiplying early-generation seeds to ensure that improved varieties were available to farmers in sufficient quantities — a persistent bottleneck in Ghana’s seed system.

Graduate and undergraduate students presented research exploring the use of drone imagery and machine learning to detect crop diseases, identify drought-tolerant groundnut varieties and improve disease and weed management.

Other presentations examined gender considerations in production, post-harvest mechanisation, the nutritional value of groundnuts and indigenous innovations adopted by farmers.

Mr Abdul-Fataw Alhassan of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture’s Statistics, Research and Information Directorate presented groundnut production statistics, highlighting regions and districts with significant production potential that remained underexploited.

The Alignment Challenge

The discussions underscored the need to align research, seed development, farming practices and private sector demand to improve the competitiveness of Ghana’s groundnut industry and increase the economic returns from the crop.

For Ghana, the groundnut value chain carries particular weight in the northern savannah, where it supports household incomes and offers a route to processing — oil extraction, paste and confectionery — that could capture more value domestically. The constraint is not demand for the crop but the gap between what research can produce and what farmers can access, and between what farmers harvest and what processors can accept.

Quick Facts

The Ghana Groundnut Working Group (GGWG) held its eighth meeting in Tamale, under the theme “Converting Scientific Efforts into Increased Productivity amongst Groundnut Farmers.” The group was established in 2019 and has since expanded beyond research to include producers, processors, marketers and policymakers, with CSIR-SARI leading the scientific work.

The central quality concerns raised by the private sector were moisture content and aflatoxin contamination — both of which determine whether locally sourced groundnuts can be accepted by processors. Research efforts are focused on early maturity, higher oil content and disease resistance, alongside the multiplication of early-generation seeds, which remains a bottleneck in Ghana’s seed system.

Students and researchers also presented work using drone imagery and machine learning to detect crop diseases and identify drought-tolerant varieties. Alhaji Fataw Alhassan of SM Ghana Limited represented the private sector, while Mr Abdul-Fataw Alhassan of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture presented production statistics highlighting underexploited regions and districts.

Source: Accra Street Journal

Last Updated on November 8, 2026 by Samuel Kwame Boadu

Samuel Kwame Boadu

Samuel Kwame Boadu is a Ghanaian media entrepreneur and storyteller with a passion for amplifying urban voices and uncovering everyday truths. He is the Editor-in-Chief and Founder of Accra Street Journal, a dynamic digital platform dedicated to capturing the pulse of Ghana’s capital—its people, culture, challenges, business, sports and innovations.

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