To enhance Ghana’s agricultural exports and increase foreign exchange earnings, GIRSAL has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with 17 agribusinesses to officially launch the Fresh Chili Pepper Commercialization Program under the Revitalization of Fresh Chili for Export project.
The MoU signing was held during a stakeholder engagement program organized by GIRSAL on Wednesday 14th May 2025 at GIRSAL’s office. The engagement brought together the project’s key stakeholders, including the agribusinesses, financial institutions and technical partners.
The program marked the transition from a successful pilot phase into a full-scale commercial production phase, based on the success achieved with the pilot phase between 2023 and 2024. GIRSAL, through its experience and insights gained, developed a prospectus outlining production protocols, potential revenue, risk mitigation strategies, investment costs, and operational structures to guide the commercial phase.
This initiative aligns with GIRSAL’s five-year strategic vision to promote the development of high-potential agricultural value chains, enhance Ghana’s export capacity, and increase foreign exchange earnings.
Program Goals and Economic Impact
Under the Fresh Chili Commercialization program, GIRSAL and its partners aim to cultivate 100 hectares of chili peppers under net-house technology, with a projected annual export volume of 2,000 metric tonnes. GIRSAL anticipates this will generate over USD 10 million in foreign exchange earnings while creating over 3,000 jobs both directly and indirectly, primarily for youth and women.
As the lead facilitator of the project, GIRSAL will provide technical assistance support to all agribusinesses and facilitate investor engagements as well as strengthen market linkages to drive exports. Based on insights from the initial trial project, it is evident that working with regulatory bodies like PPRSD under the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to ensure strict quality compliance is imperative, as well as getting certifications, including Global GAP certification and others, for trade on the international market. GIRSAL will also ensure compliance with the standard bodies for smooth access to the international market.
Financing and Strategic Partnerships
Under the program, agribusinesses that require financial assistance for their project implementation will have access as well as credit guarantees from GIRSAL. GIRSAL has its partner financial institutions, including Fidelity Bank Ghana, Access Bank Plc, Ecobank Ghana PLC, and Absa Bank, on board to support with credit for these agribusinesses.
Strengthening Agricultural Export Resilience
Ghana’s chili pepper exports were once valued at over USD 4.4 million annually before a 2015 ban by the European Union due to phytosanitary concerns. Though market access was restored in 2017, the country has not regained its previous export momentum. GIRSAL’s shade-net approach validated by the pilot project offers a scalable solution that meets international quality standards while supporting smallholder productivity.
By April 2025, GIRSAL’s trial project from 4 selected sites Dahwenya Ziope and Woadze in the Volta region and Kyekyewere in the Eastern region had collectively produced 16.63 metric tonnes of Bird’s Eye variety and 2.5 metric tonnes of habanero chilies, contributing to a total of 61.14 metric tonnes of fresh chili peppers. Of this quantity, 82.4 percent was successfully exported, reflecting the strong export viability of Ghana-grown chili.
In addition to exports, 2.11 metric tonnes of habanero and 2.4 metric tonnes of Bird’s Eye chilies were sold on the local market, alongside 1.3 metric tonnes of dried chili. These figures highlight the growing demand for both fresh and dried chilies across local and international markets, reinforcing the commercial potential of chili production under net-house cultivation.
How Agribusinesses can Apply to be part of the Commercialization
As part of the structured commercialization process, agribusinesses interested in participating in the chilli project are required to express their interest directly to GIRSAL or through GIRSAL’s partner financial institutions for credit support or Technical Assistance Support (TAS). Once interest is established, GIRSAL will conduct a thorough eligibility assessment to determine the agribusiness’ capacity and readiness. Qualified applicants will then be supported to develop and submit credit requests to partner financial institutions.
The Fresh Chili Pepper Commercialization Program is designed to position Ghana once again as a leading exporter of fresh chilies on the international stage. By focusing on export readiness and job creation, the initiative reinforces GIRSAL’s commitment to building resilient, inclusive, and globally competitive agribusiness value chains across the country.