Agrium Capital, a UK-based agrifood investment firm, has signed an agreement to advance $270 million towards transforming Ghana’s poultry industry. The agreement was signed in London yesterday with the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Programme (24H+), following the signing of the Heads of Terms by the two parties on August 22 this year.
Representatives of partner institutions, including Petra Trust, Axis Pension Trust and Ghana EXIM Bank, witnessed the signing ceremony, marking the investment initiative’s transition to the next phase of project development. The latest agreement, referred to as an addendum, will facilitate the technical and investment-related work needed to translate the existing framework into a commercially viable and productive poultry industry.
The initiative aims to significantly increase domestic poultry production, enhance food security, create 12,000 direct jobs and reduce Ghana’s annual $400 million expenditure on imported chicken and poultry products. The first phase is expected to produce 20,000 tonnes of dressed and processed broiler products annually, with the capacity to expand output to 50,000 tonnes.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic after the signing ceremony in London yesterday, Presidential Adviser on the 24H+ Programme, Augustus Goosie Tanoh, said the agreement reflected the programme’s strategy of mobilising both domestic and international private capital to drive investment in productive sectors of the economy.
He said the addendum strengthened the partnership and marked a significant step forward, moving the initiative from investor engagement to the preparation of a commercially viable project. Mr Tanoh described the poultry initiative as a practical demonstration of how foreign private investment could be combined with Ghanaian institutional capital to establish and expand large-scale industrial operations.
The partnership brings together Agrium Capital, a subsidiary of Asset Green Ltd, alongside Petra Trust, Axis Pension Trust and Ghana EXIM Bank. The integrated project will cover the entire poultry value chain, including feed production, breeding, hatchery operations, broiler farming, processing, cold-chain infrastructure, logistics and market access.
UK-Ghana cooperation
The United Kingdom has welcomed the investment, describing it as a significant boost to trade relations and economic collaboration between the UK and Ghana. The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, which facilitated the signing ceremony in Accra in August, has been recognised as a key partner in bringing together international investors, local institutional funds, and government stakeholders to support the initiative.
Kofi D. Fynn, Managing Director of Petra Trust, noted that the involvement of Petra Trust and Axis Pension Trust reflects the pension industry’s growing willingness to channel long-term capital into productive sectors of the economy. He emphasised their commitment to national development, stating, “We are prepared to invest our capital in advancing the country’s goals and development priorities.”
