The Guinness Ghana Breweries (GGB) PLC, in partnership with the Netherlands Development Organization (SNV), has announced an initiative to enhance the production of high-quality white sorghum for industrial use.

The Initiative: “Partnership for Sustainable Sorghum Sourcing in Ghana (P3SG) Project”, the first of its kind between GGB PLC and SNV, would be implemented in northern Ghana from this year 2023 to 2028.

This was disclosed in a statement signed by Madam Helene Weesie, the Managing Director of GGB PLC. The statement indicated that the five-year project is expected to empower over 12,500 smallholder and commercial farmers, including women and youth, to produce 72,375 metric tons of sorghum within the project period.

“The goal is to create a thriving and sustainable white sorghum supply chain that enables farmers to view sorghum as a profitable business crop within sustainable farming systems.”

The statement noted that the inability of farmers to produce sorghum to meet the demands of GGB PLC stemmed from “poor yields resulting from inadequate access to production resources, including improved seeds, agro-inputs such as fertilizers, financial services for investment in production, and climate variabilities.”

Madam Weesie said GGB PLC is committed to doing business in the right way and its operations are sustainably designed to empower farmer organisation to effectively engage a large number of farmers, promote mutual understanding of quality and supply standards across the supply chain, and equitable pricing and contracting terms for a profitable business for all.

Madam Weesie explained that the company was also committed to improving production techniques to enhance yield and quality while meeting environmental and quality standards, and active involvement of women and youth in production and trading to create new dynamics in the sub-sector.

The statement also referenced Mr Pieter Spaarman, the Country Director of SNV Ghana, as saying that the SNV had expertise and knowledge in the agricultural sector with over three decades of work experience in the sector since they began working in Ghana.

The Aim of SNV

Mr Pieter Spaarman explained that the aim of SNV was to promote agri-foods and the collaboration with GGB PLC and other value chain actors was timely to deliver and support outputs through effective integration of the local sorghum supply chain.

“We look forward to improving livelihoods of farmers, increasing access to basic services and safeguarding sustainable and quality practices along the white sorghum value chain in Ghana.”

The statement stated that the P3SG Project is a significant step towards creating a sustainable, thriving and profitable business environment for sorghum farmers in Ghana.

The statement added that the GGB PLC and SNV are committed to working closely with all stakeholders to achieve the objectives of the project and to make a positive impact on the livelihoods of farmers, particularly women and youth.

According to the African Postharvest Losses Information System (APHLIS), in 2018, Ghana’s total sorghum production was estimated at 278,000 tonnes, mostly red sorghum with only a small portion of white sorghum allocated to large-scale industrial breweries.

Postharvest grain losses accounted for approximately 12% of total production, indicating substantial room for increasing local sorghum sourcing for breweries without compromising food security in the region, the statement concluded.