GIRSAL recently hosted a 28-member delegation from ten Anglophone and Francophone African countries as part of an international study tour organized by the African Rural and Agricultural Credit Association (AFRACA). The study tour, held from April 7 to 11, 2025, focused on agricultural risk-sharing incentive policies and schemes and provided an opportunity for participants to explore practical models that can transform agricultural financing across the continent.
GIRSAL was selected as the central case study for this engagement in recognition of its success in implementing agricultural credit risk mitigation strategies over the past five years. Through GIRSAL’s Credit Risk Guarantee (CRG), Technical Assistance and Advisory Services (TAS), and other operational pillars, GIRSAL has significantly contributed to de-risking agricultural lending and building confidence among financial institutions to expand financing to the sector.
The week-long program combined technical learning sessions with practical field experiences. It opened with a two-day conference that provided an in-depth overview of GIRSAL’s establishment, operational model, and impact. Presentations from GIRSAL’s internal teams covered the full scope of the organization’s work, including risk assessment, data management, loan origination, monitoring, claim processing, and capacity building for financial institutions. Participants also gained insight into GIRSAL’s role in policy advocacy and value chain development, with a special highlight on the fresh chili pepper under shade net initiative.
One of the key moments during the conference was an interactive session featuring representatives from GIRSAL’s partner financial institutions including Absa Bank Ghana, Agricultural Development Bank (ADB), and Fidelity Bank Ghana. These institutions shared insights on how GIRSAL’s support has enabled them to scale up their agricultural lending portfolios, improve risk management processes, and deliver more tailored financial solutions to agribusinesses.
To complement the technical sessions, the study tour included field visits designed to give participants a grounded perspective on the application and impact of GIRSAL’s work. The delegation visited Ransboat Farms, a poultry farm that has benefited from GIRSAL’s credit guarantee and technical assistance. This visit offered practical validation of the theoretical insights shared during the conference, demonstrating how GIRSAL’s instruments directly support agribusiness growth. Another visit was made to the chili project site in Kyekyewere in the Eastern region, where delegates observed how GIRSAL’s value chain strategy is being implemented to enhance productivity and market access for agribusinesses.
These site visits provided valuable opportunities for participants to engage with agribusiness operators and understand the broader ecosystem in which agricultural finance solutions are deployed in Ghana. Throughout the program, discussions explored important themes such as beneficiary selection, risk assessment, capital enhancement mechanisms, and strategies for accelerating financial inclusion in agriculture.
The delegation comprised representatives from commercial banks, central banks, microfinance institutions, development banks, and other key stakeholders across the African continent. Their presence emphasized the growing interest in replicable models of risk-sharing to address the barriers limiting agricultural lending and financial deepening.
GIRSAL is proud to be a member of AFRACA and to contribute to shaping the dialogue on the future of agricultural finance in Africa. Hosting this study reinforced GIRSAL’s efforts to de-risk the agricultural sector to increase financing for agribusinesses to thrive.
About AFRACA
AFRACA facilitates collaborations and partnerships amongst member institutions to sustainably provide financial services to rural smallholder farmers in Africa. In the last four decades, AFRACA has facilitated joint learning approaches by providing a neutral platform for our members to share their results, learn from each other’s successes, and jointly reflect on trends, challenges and opportunities in the Agri-finance sector.