Alberta Akosa
AGRIHOUSE FOUNDATION is set to hold the 12th edition of its annual Pre-harvest Agribusiness Conference and Exhibitions in the Northern region, themed, “Connecting the Unconnected: The Farmer-the- Buyer and the Market.”
The three (3) day most important farmer to buyer and Agribusiness market linkage event is scheduled to take place from Tuesday, October 25 to Thursday, October 27, at the Aliu Mamaha Sports Stadium, in Tamale.
Also to take place are practical training and demonstration sessions, at the Agrihouse Agri-Village Training, Apprenticeship and Demonstration Centre, in Bamvim.
Executive Director of Agrihouse Foundation, Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa, said the platform has generated an estimated US$5 billion of businesses for agribusinesses and value chain actors in the last eleven (11) years.
She said over three thousand (3000) participants were recorded last year resulting in a fifteen percent (15%) increase in productivity among various farmer groups, and value chain actors who patronised the event.
“In 2019, we recorded 70 business deals during the Exhibitions, which resulted in about GHS32, 420, 745, worth of sales, among input dealers, machinery and equipment dealers,” she revealed.
This year, amidst the global challenges, the exhibitions are still expected to record a marginable increase. Last year recorded 118 exhibitors consisting of farmer groups, input, seed dealers, agriculture marketing experts, and financial institutions.
Lead sponsor for the event, Yara Ghana, has called on  more value chain actors and agribusinesses in the country to support the upcoming event, while reiterating the need for more digitisation in the agricultural sector, as a way to achieve the theme for this year’s event.
Danquah Addo-Yobo, West Africa Regional Director of Yara International, said, Yara has rolled out a number of digital tools and innovative systems this year, which will be shared with participants as part of the training and capacity building sessions they will be leading.
GIZ-MOAP’s Inclusive Business Models Expert, Rueben Binpori, reiterated GIZ-MOAP’s technical and financial support towards Pre-harvest, and outlined a number of agric-related projects GIZ-MOAP through the funding of the European Union in Ghana, is implementing across the country to support value chain actors.
Other sponsors of the 12th Preharvest Agribusiness Exhibitions and Conference event include Demeter, Ecobank and ADB, with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the Northern Regional Coordinating Council, as organising Partners.
A business desk report