Japanese business firm Degas Limited has announced a $100 million investment over the next four years to help establish Ghana as Africa’s first AI-powered agricultural hub, expanding a model that has already financed more than 86,000 smallholder farmers across 122,000 acres nationwide.
Doga Makiura, CEO and founder of Degas Limited, made the announcement during a meeting with President John Dramani Mahama on the sidelines of the Ghana Presidential Investment Forum.
“Ghana has shown that when technology meets a clear national vision, smallholder farmers can thrive. Our $100 million commitment will scale AI-driven satellite monitoring and precision agriculture techniques so farmers can boost yields, reduce risk, and access fairly priced finance.
“We’ve already seen incomes double with a 95% repayment rate from the farmers,” he stated.
Degas’ platform combines AI-powered satellite monitoring with precision agriculture techniques. The results, according to Makiura, are attracting strong interest from Japanese investors.
“Many Japanese partners now consider Ghana’s integrated approach the gold standard for agricultural investment in Africa. President Mahama’s focus on value-chain integration aligns closely with Japan’s search for credible, scalable partnerships.”
President Mahama welcomed the announcement, describing it as a vote of confidence in Ghana’s agricultural transformation agenda.
“This investment reinforces our commitment to integrated agricultural value chains that connect farmers to markets, finance, storage, and processing.
“By leveraging AI and precision technologies, we will improve productivity, enhance food security, and create dignified jobs for youth across rural communities,” Mr. Mahama added.
The new funding will support the expansion of Degas’ farmer financing, satellite-enabled crop monitoring, and precision agronomy services, while deepening partnerships across input supply, logistics, and offtake to strengthen local value chains.
