Partnership for Sustainable Sorghum Sourcing (P3SG)

The P3SG project is being implemented in 48 districts across the Upper East, Upper West, Northeast, Northern, and Savanna regions of Ghana, in partnership with private and public sector companies.

In collaboration with the Savanna Agriculture Research Institute (SARI) and the Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Division (PPRSD), the project will spearhead seed systems transformation by enhancing seed quality, availability, and accessibility. Involving private sector partners—input dealers, financial institutions, and aggregation businesses—will improve competitiveness, access to quality and affordable inputs, and financial services for the production, aggregation, and supply of sorghum, thereby increasing the profitability of the value chain.

The soughum value chain in Ghana has the potential for growth and can contribute significantly to increased food security. However, this potential is hindered by several challenges that affect its efficiency and profitability. The P3SG project seeks to address these challenges:

• Low sorghum yield due to inadequate access to production resources such as improved seeds, agro inputs, financial services, and climate variability.

• Post-harvest losses and quality issues arising from aflatoxin contamination lead to insufficient volumes for processing.

• Limited investment in sorghum production has traditionally been driven by its subsistence use. There is a lack of investment in technologies and practices to enhance yield.

• Institutional capture and power imbalance: Corporate and aggregator interests dominate the decision-making process, putting smallholders at a disadvantage through unfair pricing and unfavourable contracting processes.

• Climate variability threatens production: Erratic rainfall, drought, floods, and an increase in pests and diseases present a significant risk to sorghum production.

To achieve the goal of this initiative, we have adopted an inclusive value chain approach. By developing market system, we will work with smallholder farmers, the private, and the public sectors to jointly develop agricultural investment and service delivery solutions. In this way, producers and producer organisations become strong market players and can negotiate mutually profitable business deals.

For the five years of the project, we aim to:

• Enhance farmer organisation structures for effective collaboration with numerous farmers (aggregator model).

• Foster a mutual understanding of supply chain standards throughout the supply chain.

• Establish equitable pricing and contracting terms to enable profitable business for all.

• Implement improved production techniques, allowing for greater yield and higher quality, while meeting the requisite environmental and quality standards.

• Encourage active participation of women and youth in production and trading, creating new dynamics in the sub-sector.