Mary Nkrumah is a Ghanaian woman living in Accra, with her farm located at Akuem Abinaasi. She began her career as a nail technician, but due to the chemicals affecting her eyes and causing redness, she eventually stopped. She then ventured into grocery sales, where she noticed a high demand for corn. This observation motivated her to pursue maize farming in Sefwi, where agriculture is the main occupation.
With access to vast land, she hired laborers and cultivated 24 acres. Unfortunately, heavy rains destroyed the farm, leading to significant financial loss. Despite the setback, Mary didn’t give up. In the next farming season, she scaled down to 10 acres due to pregnancy and had a more successful yield. She used land owned by her child’s father and continued farming in 2024.
However, she wasn’t seeing the profits she expected from maize. On the advice of someone, she shifted to vegetable farming—and that changed everything. She realized that vegetables like pepper, garden eggs, and okra were much more profitable. Starting with just one acre, the earnings were impressive enough for her to expand to 20 acres.
Mary delivers her produce directly to market women in Accra, avoiding middlemen who often exploit farmers. She initially farmed a small plot alone but now hires workers to help with larger-scale farming. Her perception of farming has completely changed—what she once thought was work for the poor, she now sees as a profitable venture. She explains that agribusiness is not for the financially weak; starting a serious vegetable farm with improved seeds can require over GHS 10,000.
She began with local seeds and could harvest 20 bags of produce every two weeks. While garden eggs require more investment, she learned that pepper doesn’t need too much fertilizer. Though her mother initially discouraged her, warning it would be a waste of money, Mary pushed through. Now, her mother even asks for goods from her farm.
Mary encourages secondary school students to consider farming on family lands instead of waiting for government or office jobs. She recommends planting in December and harvesting after three months.
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