Belarus has proposed supplying Ghana with approximately 3,000 units of agricultural machinery and establishing a cocoa processing facility on Ghanaian soil, as a high-level Belarusian delegation completed a landmark two-day visit to Accra that also confirmed a state visit by President John Dramani Mahama to Minsk in June.
Belarusian Foreign Affairs Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov held talks with President Mahama on the first day of the visit, conveying greetings from President Alexander Lukashenko ahead of Ghana’s Independence Day and a personal invitation to Minsk. Mahama accepted the invitation and proposed that specific dates be coordinated through diplomatic channels. The president highlighted agriculture as a priority area and proposed developing a five-year cooperation programme in the sector, adding that the first major order of Belarusian machinery is expected this year.
During a separate meeting with Trade Minister Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, the two sides agreed to prepare a list of Ghanaian companies for participation in a business forum in Minsk. Ghana proposed that Belarus consider establishing cocoa processing facilities in Ghana, which could supply both Belarus and international markets. Belarus expressed interest in importing Ghanaian fruits, nuts, vegetables, and cocoa beans and in promoting industrial cooperation through its membership in the Eurasian Economic Union.
In talks with Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture John Dumelo, the Belarusian side outlined its agribusiness potential, including the supply of milk powder, poultry meat, pedigree materials, combined feed, and veterinary drugs. The Ghanaian side emphasised the need for Belarusian machines and vehicles to be adapted to local conditions and stressed the importance of developing irrigation infrastructure. Dumelo noted that Ghana plans to open 12 mechanisation hubs this year as part of a broader chain of Farmer Service Centres under the Feed Ghana Initiative.
Discussions also covered the establishment of a joint trade and economic commission, investment protection agreements, double taxation arrangements, a partnership between the two countries’ chambers of commerce, and a visa facilitation framework.
Ghana plans to deploy more than 4,000 farm machines across 50 districts in 2026 through the Feed Ghana Initiative, with the government having already signed a separate agreement with Turkish manufacturer Hattat Traktör to assemble tractors locally. The Belarus talks expand the pool of machinery suppliers available to support that rollout.
