LifeTrac Tech, GRATIS Foundation unveil locally assembled tractor to boost farm mechanisation

LifeTrac Tech Limited and GRATIS Foundation have unveiled the LifeTrac 6G tractor prototype, a locally fabricated machine aimed at improving agricultural mechanisation and strengthening Ghana’s capacity to manufacture and maintain its own farm equipment. The tractor was launched at the GRATIS Foundation Technology Solution Centre in Tema, following a partnership between the two institutions to adapt and manufacture agricultural machinery locally. President of LifeTrac Group Inc. and LifeTrac Tech Limited, John Duse Stager, said the initiative was designed to address challenges farmers face in accessing reliable tractors, including delays in service delivery, frequent breakdowns and difficulties obtaining spare parts. He said farmers needed more than imported equipment, stressing that they required machinery that could be maintained and repaired locally. “A Ghanaian farmer needs more than just a machine dropped off on a truck. They need equipment suited to our soil, a skilled operator who knows the work, a technician nearby who can repair it, and spare parts they can actually get their hands on here at home,” he said. Mr. Stager explained that the LifeTrac 6G was developed around three pillars: open engineering knowledge, local manufacturing and a Machinery-as-a-Service model. Under the service model, smallholder farmers and cooperatives will be able to book mechanised services without having to purchase and maintain an entire tractor. “The farmer gets timely mechanised work without the capital burden, while estates or agribusinesses that prefer to own can purchase the equipment outright,” he said. The tractor, fabricated and assembled at the GRATIS Foundation’s Tema facility, is designed to support land preparation and material handling, with attachments including a plough, rototiller and front loader. It also features a detachable PowerCube hydraulic system that can be used to power other productive equipment, including brick presses and metalworking machines, beyond the farming season. Mr. Stager said the pilot unit passed its functional drive test on August 6, 2026, while loader trials conducted in September demonstrated its ability to collect, lift, carry and discharge heavy materials. He said the project was intended to strengthen Ghana’s ability to build, maintain and improve the machinery used by its farmers. “That is what manufacturing sovereignty means to us: having the engineering drawings on our desks, the skills in our hands, the tooling in our workshops, and the ability to solve our own problems right here in Ghana,” he said. Chief Executive of GRATIS Foundation, Dr. Isaac Adaebsch, said the institution fabricated the tractor’s steel structure and other key components, with more than 15 technicians involved in the process. He said the project demonstrates the potential of local technical expertise when supported by innovation and strategic partnerships. “Today we show Ghana a machine built here, by Ghanaian hands, for Ghanaian farmers,” he said. Dr. Adaebsch noted that agriculture remains central to Ghana’s economy, but access to appropriate and affordable mechanisation remains a challenge for many farmers. Citing a 2022 study, he said 77.6 per cent of farm operations in Ghana were still performed manually. He stressed that the prototype was only the beginning of a process that would require further testing, validation and improvements, as well as the development of production and after-sales support systems. “This prototype is a first step, and the work ahead is testing, validation and improvement. We will also build the production and after-sales support systems that make a machine useful long after the launch,” he said. The two institutions say the next phase will focus on field deployment, performance testing, operator training and the development of a production and maintenance network to support wider adoption across the country.