Happy Farmers Coop Market In Tamale
The Happy Farmers Coop Market has been inaugurated in Tamale in the Northern Region.
The Happy Farmers Coop falls under the pilot project- Capacity Development of Farmer-Based Cooperatives(FBCOs) and Farmer-Based Organizations (FBOs) project in Northern Ghana funded by the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).
The pilot project offered opportunities for viable Farmer-Based Cooperatives(FBCOs) and Farmer-Based Organizations (FBOs) in Northern Ghana to submit promising proposals to access matching grant support up to 90% of Farmer-based cooperatives budget to procure equipment/assets to stimulate business upgrading.
The Vice President of Happy Farmers Coop Market, Dr. Glover Evam Kofi at the Inauguration ceremony said the cooperative under the KIOCA Capacity Development Project in Northern Ghana was awarded a grant to build and operate a cooperative market noting that the focus of the market is to provide sales services for the products of 3 primary cooperatives where foodstuff is readily available at a good price, ensure food hygiene, quality, good environment and save time.
According to him, the Happy Farmers Coop will provide convenience and efficiency, gaining loyalty to create opportunity for the coop market to attract more customers.
He disclosed that the edifice does not only provide products but also an office dedicated to all other sister farm-based coops that face the challenge of marketing their products and most often meet unpredictable market prices.
“ This office also offers an app-based e-commerce platform designed to help connect smallholder farmers to access local, national, and international markets that create a sustainable and fair marketplace. In this sense , we seek to enhance the bargaining power of our farmers and potential profits by providing them with real time information about what their crops are worth on different markets.”
Dr. Kofi thanked KIOCA for funding their proposal for Agribusiness management training, a dedicated market building, equipment, and also facilitation for social capital to enable the different groups to band together and effectively achieve the common purpose as well as ACDEP for their technical support.
He urged the general public to patronize Happy Farmers Coop for their healthy man’s affordable food items at a good price in Tamale.
FROM Eric Kombat, Tamale