Ghana has taken a major step toward becoming Africa’s first AI-powered agricultural hub, thanks to a $100 million investment from Japanese-founded agritech giant, DEGAS Limited. The announcement was made during the Ghana Presidential Investment Forum in Yokohama, Japan, where Degas CEO Doga Makiura met with President John Dramani Mahama.
DEGAS is no stranger to Ghana’s farmlands. The company already works with over 86,000 smallholder farmers spread across 122,000 acres. Through financing, crop monitoring, and precision farming support, it has helped farmers double their incomes while keeping repayment rates as high as 95 percent. For many rural families, this has meant not just surviving, but thriving.
Speaking at the forum, Makiura praised Ghana’s vision, saying: “Ghana has shown that when technology meets a clear national plan, smallholder farmers can truly thrive.” His words reflected the company’s confidence in scaling its AI-driven platform, which is designed to help farmers boost yields, reduce risks, and access affordable credit.
Japanese investors are also paying close attention. According to Makiura, Ghana’s integrated agricultural model is now viewed as the “gold standard” for investment in Africa. This endorsement highlights not only Ghana’s growing reputation but also the trust it is building with global partners seeking credible, scalable opportunities.
President Mahama welcomed the investment, calling it a vote of confidence in the country’s agricultural transformation agenda. He emphasized that the funding will strengthen Ghana’s value chains by connecting farmers to markets, financing, storage, and processing while also creating dignified jobs for the nation’s youth.
With the new investment, DEGAS will expand access to satellite-enabled crop monitoring, precision agronomy services, and partnerships across input supply, logistics, and offtake. This alignment of private capital with government policy signals Ghana’s ambition to turn AI-enabled farming into not just a national success, but a continental model.
In simple terms, the future of farming in Ghana is going digital — and the world is watching.
