Queen Máxima visits Ghanaian agribusinesses to study local food markets

Queen Máxima of the Netherlands visited several Ghanaian agribusinesses in her role as the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Financial Health. She toured facilities to observe how local companies connect smallholder farmers to finance, markets, and employment.

The visit focused on the work of IDH Ghana, which partners with private and public entities to remove barriers for small and medium-sized enterprises. These businesses help farmers aggregate, process, and sell produce to create more reliable commercial relationships.

Robert Asugre, the Country Director of IDH Ghana, stated that the goal is to build markets where farmers and businesses can thrive together to ensure a secure food supply. During the tour, the Queen saw different models of agricultural support. FarmMate provides tomato farmers with seeds, irrigation, and insurance while processing surplus tomatoes into puree. AgroCenta uses a fintech platform to connect grain farmers in Northern Ghana with buyers and credit.

WamiAgro uses a platform called Pukpara to provide farm credit and training to more than 60,000 smallholder farmers. IDH Ghana currently manages several programs to expand these markets. The Women in Sourcing and Enterprise program works with 16 enterprises across seven regions to target 125,000 jobs, primarily for young women. Additionally, the Making Agrifood Markets Accessible for Soy Farmers program will begin in 2026 to support 10,000 farmers in northern regions.