Funded Agribusiness, Mariseth Farms Led by Women, Gathers Over $1 Million to Enhance Smallholder Farms in Ghana
Mariseth Farms, a women-led agribusiness based in Ghana, has secured over $1 million in funding from a consortium of investors including RDF Ghana, Sahel Capital, and ABSA Bank as of June 2025. This investment will support the expansion of in-house crop production and the growth of the smallholder supplier network, as well as facilitate the recruitment of more extension officers.
The funding will also empower women and youth in Ghana, with 80% of the youth employees at Mariseth Farms being women, and 50% of the total employees being women. Mariseth Farms, which was founded in 2016, focuses on scaling sustainable agriculture in Ghana's rural communities.
The strategic plan for the expansion and growth of Mariseth Farms following this funding is not explicitly detailed, but standard practices for agribusiness expansion suggest that likely focus areas could include increasing production capacity through scaling farm operations and acquiring inputs, strengthening supply chain and market access, enhancing working capital to stabilize day-to-day operations, and possibly integrating data science and climate-smart agriculture methods to improve resilience and yield.
In addition to the funding, Mariseth Farms has also secured new offtaker and export partnerships, which will provide additional opportunities for growth and development. Gena Perry, Exec. Director of WISHH, has joined the board, bringing valuable expertise and insights to the company.
John Scicchitano, Partner at Pangea Africa, has been named Board Chair, effective from Jan 2025. Yaw Oppong, CEO of RDF Ghana, expressed that investing in Mariseth is key to improving rural livelihoods and driving sustainable ag development. Marian Ofori Twumasi, CEO of Mariseth Farms, stated that the capital is proof that women are driving agribusiness growth in Ghana.
Mariseth Farms grows and processes key crops like oil palm, soy, and maize, blending in-house farming with produce from a national supplier network. The company aims to continue empowering smallholder farmers and driving sustainable agriculture in Ghana's rural communities.
References: 1. Mariseth Farms Secures Over $1 Million in Funding 2. Mariseth Farms Secures $560,000 Working Capital Loan 3. Mariseth Farms Secures Funding for Expansion 4. Climate-Smart Agriculture and Data Science
The investment secured by Mariseth Farms will not only support the growth of their in-house crop production and smallholder supplier network, but it will also empower women and youth in Ghana by creating opportunities for employment. Given the focus of Mariseth Farms on sustainable agriculture, the strategic plan for the expansion may involve integrating data science and climate-smart agriculture methods to improve resilience and yield.
