Ghana Farmer Proves Agriculture Profitable, Now Farms 500 Acres

A simple question from frustrated youth in 2015 changed one man's life and transformed an entire community in Ghana's Bono East Region.

Robben Asare was completing his national service in Kintampo, talking to unemployed young people about agriculture as a career path. Then someone asked: "If farming is profitable, why aren't you farming?" He had no answer, and that moment forced him to act.

With no land of his own, Robben approached traditional leaders and negotiated access to two hectares. He gathered young people to work the land together, turning his words into action.

The early days tested his commitment. Inputs were scarce, machinery was expensive, and banks weren't interested. When his family pressured him to leave Ghana for opportunities abroad, he chose to stay and farm instead.

That decision paid off. Robben now manages over 500 hectares, including 300 dedicated to maize and soybeans. His operation includes tractors and combine harvesters that he also rents to other farmers.

But Robben never forgot those unemployed youth who challenged him. He launched the "Back to Farm Youth Project" to connect young people with practical agricultural opportunities, starting with accessible options like mushroom farming.

Land access remains a major barrier for young farmers, so Robben works with traditional authorities to help others get started. In one notable initiative, he allocated 100 hectares specifically to women in his community, strengthening their economic independence.

The Ripple Effect

Robben's impact extends far beyond his own success. When he won the 2025 National Best Youth Farmer award, the prize money came with expectations. Instead of celebrating, he immediately invested the full amount in an eight-ton grain dryer to reduce post-harvest losses and create more jobs.

That investment means better grain quality, larger processing capacity, and employment opportunities in drying, handling, logistics, and processing. Every improvement in his operation creates new positions for the same young people who once stood idle and uncertain.

His earlier recognitions, including Best Youth Farmer in Kintampo North in 2018 and National Best Agroforestry Farmer in 2019, only increased his sense of responsibility. Each award pushed him to expand, innovate, and invest in others rather than rest on his achievements.

The journey from two hectares to 500 required more than agricultural skill. Robben studied accounting at the University for Development Studies, learning to see farming as a business requiring profit, structure, and scalability. His childhood in a farming household taught him the realities, but education gave him the framework to transform those realities.

Today, young people in Kintampo have proof that agriculture offers real opportunity, women have land to farm, and a growing enterprise demonstrates that staying home and building locally can succeed. What started as a response to a difficult question became a sustainable commercial farming system that lifts an entire community.

Robben's story confirms a powerful truth: transformation begins not with resources or scale, but with the decision to act, stay committed, and build something that outlasts you.