Innovative agricultural development company Lotus Ecoculture says it’s on a mission to increase farming yields by up to 30 percent in Ghana whilst maintaining a zero-waste, zero-chemical operation.
With over 3,300 hectares of land in the Volta Region, the company said it intends to achieve this through its subsidiary, Mepe Farms, which is located in the region.
According to the company’s management, the business aims to tackle rising food costs using innovative agronomic and agritech solutions, a fully-mechanised technological process, and zero-chemical input operation to boost growth in Ghana’s agricultural sector.
All inputs are Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI)-certified, bringing Ghana best-in-class organic inputs available to farmers in the region at a discounted price.
“With over six years of trading and smallholder farmer aggregation in the West African markets, Lotus Ecoculture’s arrival in Ghana marks the next step on their journey to improving food security in Africa. By operating highly-efficient farming and processing activities, and building on the processing infrastructure in-country, Mepe Farms provides cultivation as a service to meet local demand and boost exports of grains and fresh produce in Ghana,” the company said.
It added that Mepe Farms will bridge the gap between food producers and access to raw materials in the production of animal feed, which is a growing concern to operators in the industry and the Government of Ghana.
It said the company will create over 50 new jobs, running an all-female agronomic team to remedy the fact that women already make up a significant percentage of the agriculture value chain but earn a fraction of the income.
In terms of export and off-taker agreements, it said Mepe Farms has already secured massive export agreements, including long-term off-taker agreements for the cultivation of 4,500 metric tonnes of soybeans for European and Asian markets, 2,250 metric tonnes of soybeans and 3,750 metric tonnes of maize to support animal feed production companies operating locally, as well as 3,000 metric tonnes of organic tomatoes, servicing two tomato processing companies operating in the Bono Region.
These long-term partnerships, the company said, affirm the demand for organic African grown produce whilst creating a sustainable ecosystem for all stakeholders.
“Food producers and processors are unable to meet their demand for raw materials due to inefficiencies in food production and the supply chain. Our strategy of providing cultivation and processing as a service, coupled with strategic technical partnerships, is the most efficient way to bridge the gap in food security. We will work with smallholder farmers in the region to increase yield through training whilst providing a secondary source of income. This creates a sustainable environment for local food producers, as a huge percentage of their raw material input is provided by a reliable cultivator,” Osayi Olotu, CEO of Mepe Farms, said.
He said this, coupled with the company’s fully-mechanised and organic cultivation process, positions them well to provide the infrastructure to restore the produce market, making Africa less reliant on costly imports.
“We have the land, the climate and the experienced agronomists to produce world-class organic crops already; with our business’ technology and infrastructure enhancements, we can set a new standard for agriculture in West Africa,” he added.
