Dr Afriyie Akoto being taken to the showroom of Hattat Traktor
Plans are far advanced for a tractor manufacturing plant to be established in Ghana as part of measures to boost mechanized farming and increase the county’s agriculture growth.
A former Minister of Food and Agriculture and flagbearer hopeful of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, secured the deal which is also expected to benefit other countries in the West African sub-region.
Should the Hattat Traktör deal be finalized and the assembling plant built in Ghana, it is expected that mechanized farming will rise at an exponential rate, thereby sustaining food and nutrition security in the country and the ECOWAS community in general.
The deal comes on the back of extensive discussions held between Dr. Afriyie Akoto and directors of Hattat Traktör during his recent visit to Turkey where he delivered the keynote address at the African Investors Council Forum.
Investment destination
According to the former Minister of Food and Agriculture, it is about time the world sees Africa as the next big destination for investment, especially in our agricultural sector.
He referred to available data which point to the fact that Africa is going to feed the world by 2050.
“By establishing their manufacturing plant in Ghana, they will have full access to the ECOWAS community market and that will boost agriculture in Ghana and the West African sub-region,” Dr. Akoto noted.
Having concluded initial talks on the investment potential in the West African sub-region, the directors of Hattat Traktör are preparing a visit to Ghana where they will officially present their proposal to the government for consideration.
According to the 2021 edition of ‘State of Ghanaian Economy Report’ by the Institute of Statistical, Social, and Economic Research (ISSER), Ghana’s agricultural sector grew by 8.4% in 2021, the highest growth recorded in the Fourth Republic.
On the modelling of the tractor power availability in Ghana, the study revealed that the number of people in Ghana employed in the service sector and the population in Ghana are key factors that affect the level of mechanical power availability for agriculture in the West African nation.
The level of tractor power availability increased from 0.0207kW/ha in the year 2004 to 0.0588kW/ha in the year 2020 and is expected to increase to 0.0752kW/ha in 2025.
Hattat Traktör, established in 1998, manufactures tractor models with a horse power ranging from 50-113. It produces models with advanced technology and low fuel consumption for ergonomic gardens, compact farming, and fields.
At the meeting, the discussions focused on the provision of enabling environment for the Hattat Traktör business to thrive, policy formulation aimed at protecting and supporting the business as well as issues of accessibility and affordability
About The Author
