Alberta Akosa in a pose with other officials at the launch
OVER 3,000 farmers in the Northern Region of Ghana have been equipped with various farm machinery to help scale up the production of food under the Agrihouse Foundation initiatives.
The foundation has also linked farmers to prospective buyers to prevent food spoilage and postharvest losses through the farmer-to-buyer initiative. The impactful agriculture initiative has helped to increase farmers’ income.
Addressing the press in Accra, Executive Director, Agrihouse Foundation, Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa, said the initiative has supported over 3,000 farmers to potential buyers and Agric SMEs in the country at the preharvest stage who are into the production of soybeans, maize, and other cereal components.
“We look for visitors and buyers for the farmers during the season they are preparing for the harvesting with the special focus on farmers in the Northern Region,” she said.
The 12th Preharvest Agribusiness Conference and Exhibition annual harvest will be held at the Aliu Mahama Sports Stadium, Tamale, with an Agric Training and Demonstration Centre billed for October 25th to 27th.
This year’s exhibition is under the theme, “Connecting the Unconnected, the Farmer, the Market, and the Buyer.” The programme aims to strengthen the linkages between the farmers and the business organisations to seal negotiated deals to help reduce the post-harvest losses and the stress farmers experience in search of buyers.
The activities lined up for this year’s programme includes the exhibition, Farmer-To-Farmer Matchmaking session, Commodity Breakout session, and the Farmer-To-farmer Apprenticeship program.
“The outcome, last year, was amazing because we created an avenue where the farmers personally negotiated their deals to their benefit and we hope to improve upon the business this season with our careful lined up programmes” Ms. Akosa indicated.
Digital Solutions Manager, YARA Ghana, Kwame Okyere, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to farmers in dire need to improve food production in the country. “YARA Ghana has been championing the Pre-Harvest Project for years now and we are happy to be partners this year.”
YARA Ghana has an out-growers scheme where fertilisers are supplied to farmers and a network of trained agronomists also engage the farmers at the basic level to share ideas on how to improve their farming activities.
Chief Director, Northern Regional Council, Alhassan Issahaku, commended the Agrihouse Foundation and its supporting partners for their support in providing a ready market after the harvest of their crops to farmers.
He also called on the government and other non-governmental organisations to emulate the initiatives of Agrihouse to support farmers in the northern part of the country, saying, “Support the farmers to produce more to sustain the country because we have the capacity.”
BY Prince Fiifi Yorke