Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama has visited Belarus’s industrial city of Brest to explore agricultural processing technologies as part of efforts to modernise Ghana’s farming sector and reduce post-harvest losses.
The visit formed part of his state trip to Belarus, where he toured one of the country’s largest agro-processing facilities, known for producing dairy products including milk, cheese, baby food and milk powder for export markets.
Mahama was received by Brest regional governor Piotr Alexsandrovich Parkhomchik and senior officials from Belarus’s foreign ministry, before being taken through the plant’s production lines showcasing high-capacity, industrial-scale food processing systems.
He was accompanied by senior Ghanaian officials, including presidential adviser Joyce Bawah Mogtari and Ghana’s ambassador to Moscow, Dr. Jehu-Appiah.
The Ghanaian leader said the visit was aimed at learning from Belarus’s experience in industrial agriculture to support Ghana’s ambition of shifting from subsistence farming to large-scale commercial production.
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“We are here to tap into Belarus’ vast experience as we work to make Ghana self-dependent in food production,” Mahama said, adding that Ghana is seeking practical solutions to reduce post-harvest losses, which remain a major constraint on agricultural productivity.
He noted that improving storage, processing and value addition would be central to strengthening food security and increasing export competitiveness.
The facility visited by the Ghanaian delegation reportedly recorded more than $1.4 billion in profit last year and has recently begun exporting dairy products to Ghana, with plans to expand trade volumes as bilateral cooperation grows.
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The Managing Director of the company, Aleksandr Savchits, said the plant was expanding its international footprint and welcomed deeper commercial ties with African markets.
Belarus is among the world’s leading exporters of dairy products, including milk powder, butter and cheese, with a strong state-supported agro-industrial base that integrates large-scale production with advanced processing technology.
During the visit, Mahama also invited Belarusian investors to consider partnerships with Ghanaian agribusiness firms, particularly in food processing and agricultural technology.
He said such cooperation could help accelerate Ghana’s efforts to build agro-industrial zones, improve value chains and strengthen food self-sufficiency.
Analysts say Ghana’s push to modernise agriculture reflects broader trends across Africa, where governments are increasingly focusing on agro-processing and industrial farming as tools for economic diversification and rural development.
The visit comes as Ghana continues to seek foreign partnerships to reduce reliance on raw commodity exports and improve resilience in its food supply systems amid global supply chain disruptions and climate-related production risks.
