Farmers displaying their prize at the event
Oyster Agribusiness has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening Ghana’s agricultural value chain, rewarding over 40 farmers at its 2026 Farmers’ Durbar while outlining plans to scale production, diversify operations and deepen value addition.
The annual event, held in Kintampo, brought together more than 650 farmers, development partners and municipal officials to celebrate the contribution of smallholder farmers to food security and economic growth.
At the ceremony, 12 farmers were honoured as top performers for the 2024 and 2025 cropping seasons, receiving items including tricycles, motorbikes, deep freezers, planters, fertiliser applicators, knapsack sprayers and agrochemicals.
Persons with disabilities were also supported with assistive equipment, including wheelchairs.
For the 2024 season, Nana Edmund A. Kandituo of Kyinya emerged Overall Best Farmer with 246 bags of sorghum, while Tiwaa Felicia of Kobeda No. 2 was named Best Female Farmer.
Haruna Duut, also of Kobeda No. 2, won Best Farmer with Disability, and Likpaam Mamey recorded the highest yield per acre.
In the 2025 season, Mohammed Ahmed of Kawanpe took the Overall Best Farmer title with 304 bags. Dora Yeboah of Bantama was named Best Female Farmer, while Ibrahim Ibn-Iddrisu of Kadelso won Best New Farmer.
Other awardees included Kofi Mwene (Best Youth Farmer), Jaboni Ninboti (Best First Season Farmer), Diekuu Alosius (Best Farmer with Disability) and Alice Ankomah (Highest Yield per Acre).
Chief Executive Officer, Elizabeth Bidzakin, said the company’s growth is driven by a strategy that combines input support, climate-smart training and guaranteed market access.
“Our goal is to build a resilient and inclusive agricultural ecosystem where farmers are supported to increase production and incomes while having reliable market opportunities,” she said, noting that women, youth and persons with disabilities remain central to programme design.
She disclosed that the company is expanding beyond staple crops into vegetables, poultry, livestock and aquaculture, sectors she described as critical for job creation and long-term sustainability.
Oyster Agribusiness is also intensifying value addition, processing products such as tuo zaafi flour, peanuts, gari and melon seeds to enhance market value.
Currently operating in 10 districts in the Bono East Region, the company has extended its activities to Ejura-Sekyedumase and Mampong in the Ashanti Region, supporting about 30,000 farmers annually.
Its growth has accelerated significantly, expanding from 64 farmers cultivating 182 acres in 2022 to 2,470 farmers covering over 8,000 acres in 2025. In 2026, the programme has already reached 120 communities, with about 2,500 farmers registered to cultivate nearly 10,000 acres in the major season.
Bono East Regional Director of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, James Adu, commended the company’s impact, describing it as a “yeoman’s service” to smallholder development.
He urged stronger collaboration among stakeholders to address challenges such as market access, infrastructure gaps and climate risks, while local authorities reaffirmed their commitment to supporting farmers through extension services and capacity building.
Beneficiary farmers also shared testimonies of improved yields and incomes, which underscore the programme’s impact on livelihoods and rural development.
A Business Desk Report