GIRSAL’s Technical and Advisory Services (TAS) supports financial institutions to enhance their knowledge and understanding of agriculture and agribusiness finance. It also strengthens their capacity to assess, structure and manage agribusiness loans. GIRSAL’s TAS is delivered through Capacity Building, Information Resources, and Direct Support.
A 2 – module training program aimed at equipping agriculture desk officers, relationship managers, credit risk officers, and credit analysts with practical skills in assessing, structuring, and managing loan applications from agribusinesses. The training provides a comprehensive understanding of the agriculture and agribusiness environment, introduction to crop, livestock and poultry value chains in Ghana, along with practical training in agricultural loan appraisal techniques, risk identification, and mitigation.
The training program was initially developed in collaboration with the National Banking College (NBC) with support from AGRA and was launched in 2020. Since 2022, GIRSAL and the Development Bank Ghana (DBG) have jointly funded the program. The training combines classroom instruction, case studies, and practical field trips
Agriculture is not only about farming. Revealing the ancillary businesses related to farming is one way to catch the interest of and reduce the risk-aversion of bankers.
- Facilitator
I have been in the credit department for 12 years. Most of the time, we in the credit department say that agribusiness is very risky. The training showed us that Agric is not risky if you know it well
- Participant
Bank Staff Trained
Institutions Trained
Cohorts Completed
GIRSAL’s Agriculture and Agribusiness lending knowledge portal is a web-based hub for agriculture and agribusiness financing information resources and tools.
The portal features commodity-specific information packs (within crops, livestock, poultry, and aquaculture) that addresses critical issues produced by a qualified and professionally experienced team of consultants. The portal currently hosts fact sheets and related content for thirty-three (33) agricultural commodities.
The targeted beneficiaries of the portal are the credit and agribusiness officers within the financial institutions who require a wide range of knowledge to assess the wide variety of loan applications from different agriculture value chains.
Commodity Fact Sheets
Registered Users
Visits Since Nov 2020
GIRSAL provides technical expertise, coaching and mentoring to financial institutions lending to agriculture. Through our Pre-Application Assessment process, we support financial institutions to carry out a thorough assessment of agricultural loan applications. This includes due diligence of beneficiary agribusiness and other project parties, determination of technical feasibility, and financial viability, and identifying potential risks and mitigation measures. GIRSAL also provides advice on loan facility structuring i.e. determining the optimal disbursement and repayment arrangement for specific agricultural projects. We also undertake regular joint field monitoring of guaranteed agricultural projects with the financing institutions.
Through GIRSAL’s direct support offering, financial institutions are able to build their expertise and experience in assessing, structuring, and managing agribusiness loans. GIRSAL also provides technical expertise, training and other support to financial institutions to set up dedicated agribusiness units.
GIRSAL has partnered with Rabo Partnerships B.V. to offer technical support in delivering agribusiness services to Partner financial institutions. This collaboration focuses on developing comprehensive agribusiness strategies, including the creation of Agribusiness Lending Systems
for Financial Institutions. The partnership provides guidance on structuring agribusiness units, prioritizing sectors for impact, and creating tailored financing products for agribusinesses. Key elements of the program include staff training in credit risk assessment and hands-on mentoring
to strengthen agribusiness teams’ capabilities.