1. Partnership venture: Agriaccess
Drip irrigation, Ghana
The aim of this partnership venture is to introduce the use of drip irrigation equipment in Ghana and demonstrate its cost-effectiveness in improving the quality and quantity of sorghum yields.
Market opportunity
Tens of thousands of smallholder farmers in Ghana grow sorghum for consumption but also to sell to large breweries that operate in West Africa. Due to the lack of consistent water flow in the country, farmers only grow sorghum once a year, with yields per hectare that are one-third of what farmers get elsewhere. Irrigation has been identified as a key intervention to address low yields per hectare and could potentially enable farmers to undertake production three times a year.
The pilot venture
The pilot venture is focused on demonstrating the effectiveness of drip irrigation in growing sorghum and increasing yields. Through a demonstration farm, the pilot will aim to show the increased quality and quantity of yields and the cost-effectiveness for farmer groups to invest in drip irrigation systems.
Due to the risk averse nature of farmers, no sales of the drip irrigation is expected during the pilot. However, a key aspect of the pilot will be to develop partnerships with financial institutions, government bodies, breweries and donor programs to provide financial mechanisms to support farmers in purchasing the equipment should it be proven to be effective.
Connect to Grow is a first of its kind programme, funded by the Department for International Development, that supports SME growth by facilitating partnerships between innovative Indian enterprises and enterprises in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Find out more at connecttogrow.org
Partnership details
Country
Ghana
Company in-country
Agriaccess
Partner(s) in India
Micro-Drops
Sector
Agriculture
Connect Partnership Manager
Ellen Carey Maginnis
Company contact
Prosper Achulo (General Manager)

2. How is Connect to Grow supporting this venture?
The partnership
Agriaccess is currently the largest single sorghum supplier to Guinness Ghana Breweries Limited (GGBL), and works with a network of more than 21,000 smallholder farmers. They have chosen to partner with Micro Drops, a drip irrigation company that has developed a system that requires low skills for set-up and maintenance and is more affordable than other irrigation alternatives.
The ultimate aim is to introduce the Micro Drops drip irrigation throughout Ghana, possibly building a Joint Venture and assembly model.
Innovation
Relatively few drip irrigation solutions are available in Ghana and those that are require significant skills to install and maintain, and are not priced for smallholder farmers. This more affordable, easy to use system is innovative in the region.
Development impact
The use of drip irrigation equipment is expected to result in significant increases in farmer income, estimated at more than $300 in the first year and even more once loans are paid off. More than 30 per cent of sorghum smallholder farmers are women and youth with very few other income generating opportunities.
How is Connect to Grow supporting this venture?
A grant of up to $50,000 : This is to support Agriaccess in pilot activities.
Partnership Manager: A member of the Connect to Grow team supports throughout the pilot, working to monitor the pilot activities, troubleshoot problems, and broker suitable solutions with the Indian partners.
SUPPORTED BY IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS KNOWLEDGE PARTNER