Ghana is taking a big step to improve farming by planning a local tractor assembly plant. This move is part of the government’s goal to help farmers get better tools and grow more food.
The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, recently visited Istanbul, Turkey, where he met with leaders of Hattat Traktör, a well-known tractor company. During his visit, he toured their factory and tested some of their tractors. He said the tractors are strong, easy to use, and perfect for Ghana’s small and medium-sized farms.
“The goal is not just to import tractors,” Opoku said. “It is to build a local industry that can assemble, maintain, and eventually manufacture the equipment our farmers need right here in Ghana.”
As part of the plan, Hattat Traktör will work with a Ghanaian company called 10G Globaltech Ltd. They will help set up the assembly plant and train local workers. This partnership is expected to create jobs and reduce the country’s need to import expensive farm machines.
According to ModernGhana, the new plant will also support the Ministry’s Farmer Service Centre program. These centers will provide farmers with access to tractors, tools, and other farming supplies. The goal is to make farming easier and more productive.
Right now, about 78% of farming in Ghana is still done by hand, which makes it hard to grow enough food. A report by the Ecofin Agency says that Ghana has 10 million hectares of land that can be used for farming, but only 7.4 million hectares are currently being used. With more tractors, farmers can work faster and plant on more land.
What the Tractor assembly plant means for Ghana
The new tractor assembly plant is a major step forward for Ghana’s farming sector. It will help solve one of the biggest problems farmers face, lack of access to affordable and reliable farm machinery. Most farmers in Ghana still use hand tools or animals to work their land, which limits how much food they can grow. According to the Ecofin Agency, about 78% of farming in Ghana is still done manually.
By building tractors locally, Ghana will reduce its reliance on expensive imports. This will make tractors more affordable and available to farmers, especially in rural areas. The plant will also create jobs for Ghanaians and help develop skills in machinery assembly and maintenance.
The plant is part of a bigger plan to modernize farming through the Farmer Service Centre program. These centers will provide tools, spare parts, and training to help farmers grow more food and earn more income. As Eric Opoku explained, the goal is to build a full support system around the tractors, not just import them.
Over time, Ghana could even export tractors to other West African countries. The partnership with Hattat Traktör means Ghana will have access to strong, simple machines that are perfect for small and medium-sized farms.
A boost to Ghana’s growing automobile industry
The tractor assembly plant is not happening in isolation,it is part of a larger trend in Ghana’s growing automobile industry. Over the past few years, Ghana has attracted major global car manufacturers like Volkswagen, Toyota, Nissan, and Kia, all of which have set up local assembly plants. According to Mordor Intelligence, the country’s automobile market is expected to grow steadily, supported by government policies, tax incentives, and infrastructure development.
The government’s Ghana Automotive Development Programme (GADP) has played a key role in this growth. It offers tax breaks and other support to companies that assemble vehicles locally. This has helped Ghana become a hub for vehicle production in West Africa, with the potential to serve a market of over 380 million people across the region.
The tractor plant fits perfectly into this vision. It expands the scope of the automobile industry beyond passenger cars and trucks to include agricultural machinery. This diversification strengthens Ghana’s position as a manufacturing center and supports its broader goals of industrialization and job creation.
As Alan Kyerematen, former Minister for Trade and Industry, once noted, a strong automobile sector can drive economic growth and create lasting opportunities. The tractor assembly plant is a clear example of how Ghana is turning that vision into reality.
