Celebrating 13 Years of Connecting Farmers, Input Dealers and Processors to Market- Pre-Harvest the Path Way

 In 2017, the USAID ADVANCE Project handed over the annual Pre-Harvest Agribusiness Conference and Exhibitions event, to Agrihouse Foundation, as part of the organization’s exit strategy. Since then, Agrihouse Foundation has implemented and scaled up the project, by annually connecting over 3000 smallholder farmers, commercial farmers, seeds, fertilizer, irrigation, finance, processors, ICT, service providers, machinery and equipment companies and value chain actors to markets.  The Preharvest, has strategically grown, to become an intervention, and highly impactful market linkage program, on Ghana’s Agribusiness calendar, providing long-term market development opportunities for farmers and agribusinesses.

The Annual Pre-Harvest Agribusiness Conference and Exhibitions event, for the past 12 years, have provided and created market linkages and built the capacity of over 150,000 value chain actors and stakeholders.

Beneficiaries and participants of the annual Preharvest event ranges from farmer groups, buyers, development partners, policy makers, agribusinesses, ICT professionals, and aggregators. Others include input dealers, equipment and machinery dealers, transporters, financial institutions, telecommunication companies, out growers, civil society, and processors, who converge in the Northern Region, to network, exhibit, share knowledge, train, engage in field demonstration activities and most importantly, negotiate and seal deals.

The intervention has served as a stimulating platform for match-making, exchange, agribusiness development, stakeholder linkages, and has brought about growth in local economies, through the creation of expanded agribusiness opportunities. It has also assisted in removing constraints on market access for farmers and agribusinesses who require access to lucrative markets and economic opportunities to improve their livelihoods and those of their families.

The annual Preharvest event, culminates with conference events, presentations, exhibitions, and a marketplace for business-to-business meetings.

It continuous to serve as a dynamic platform for farmers to negotiate and seal contracts and strengthen the capacity of Farmer-Based Organizations (FBOs), Aggregators, Processors, and value chain actors for them to play a key role as agricultural market actors.

 It has assisted over 64,000 farmers and agribusinesses to expand their businesses both before and after harvesting.

After twelve (12) successful editions, and through feedbacks and testimonies, we are confident to say, the annual Pre-harvest event, has lived up to its overall goal of creating markets and linking farmers to buyers.

Over five billion USD business deals, has been generated through the event over the years.

In 2022, the event recorded a total of 3700 participants, over the 3-day event, with about 210 exhibitors, who included farmers, input dealers, equipment and machinery dealers, Irrigation dealers, financial institutions, telecommunication companies.

Others were processors, development partners, insurance companies, non-governmental organizations and government agencies .

A survey conducted after the event, indicated high interest in participation for subsequent years due to the relevance of the sessions and activities’’. Stated Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa, the Executive Director of Agrihouse Foundation.

This tradition of impact continues this year with a project participation of about 5000 and an increase in Exhibitors, from 150 last year, to 250.

The event, is slated to hold, from Tuesday, october  24 to Thursday, october  26, 2023, under the Theme: “Connecting the Unconnected – The Farmer, The Input Dealer, The Processor,”

Just as last year, a number of activities have been lined-up, to make up this year’s event, even more valuable, interactive, engaging and impactful, to participants and attendees.

Activities for the three (3) days event, will include:

Bringing together a diverse spectrum of participants, including farmer groups, farmer-based organizations, aggregators, buyers, students, smallholders, and commercial farmers, the Commodity Breakout Session aims to provide invaluable insights into excelling within the agricultural value chain.

A dedicated networking session, the Farmer-Buyer Matchmaking event is tailored for farmers to engage with potential wholesale buyers and various agribusinesses along the value chain. During this dynamic session, both farmers and buyers have the opportunity to forge connections and seal deals that can shape the trajectory of their agricultural endeavours.

Spanning the entirety of the three-day event, an engaging -exhibition showcase will unfold, creating a space for buying and selling at affordable prices. This dynamic platform serves as a hub for exploring the latest innovations, products, and services that are driving advancements in the agricultural sector ranging from Crop Varieties, Seeds, Farm Equipment and Machinery, Agrochemicals and Fertilizers, Livestock among others

At the heart of the three-day event, the Field Demonstrations stand out as a prominent highlight. Here, farmers and industry participants engage in practical learning, gaining firsthand experience and adopting best practices in farm management. Hosted at the Agrihouse Foundation Agri-Village, this immersive experience aims to equip attendees with tangible skills that can enhance their agricultural practices.

As the event approaches, anticipation is building for these multifaceted sessions that collectively aim to foster knowledge sharing, collaboration, and growth within Ghana’s agricultural landscape. Stay tuned for an enriching experience that celebrates innovation, connectivity, and progress.

The three days event is expected to provide participants with a common platform where diverse services linked to the Agric sector will converge to provide mutually beneficial ends

Participants will be taken through practical and engaging sessions to enable them gain deeper insights into best practices and how to take advantages of the numerous opportunities in the agriculture sector.

The three-day event will feature sessions designed to give participants in-depth insight into the state of the agriculture industry today and inherent opportunity. such as commodity break-out sessions, intensive and focused training programs, farmer -buyer matchmaking dialogue, training, panel education sessions, field demonstrations, keynotes, and exhibitions while displaying, promoting business, and creating networking opportunities

We are super excited to announce that, after 13 years of successfully hosting the annual Preharvest Agribusiness Exhibitions and Conference event, at different locations, within the Northern region, this year’s event, will fully be held at the AGRIHOUSE AGRI-VILLAGE TRAINING AND DEMONSTRATION CENTRE, located at Bamvim , tamale in the Northern Region .

The Ten(10) acre land, was donated to Agrihouse Foundation, in 2021 by the he Bamvim Lana (Chief of Bamvim).

Agrihouse Foundation is working to develop the land, in the next 3-5 years, to become the Premier Agribusiness Training, Exhibitions and Demonstration Centre, with crop and livestock stations, processing centre, conference, workshop halls, restrooms, exhibition stores for Agric companies, training and recreational centres, among others.

We invite all stakeholders and value chain actors, to get ready, to embark on an Agribusiness Adventure like never before.  Join us from October  24-26, 2023 at the Agrihouse foundation Agri village, Bamvim in the Northern Region, as we for the   highly anticipated 13^th edition of the pre-harvest agribusiness exhibitions and conference event.

Discover the ultimate platform that connects farmers, market players and agribusinesses, unlocking endless opportunities for growth, innovation and success.

The 13t edition of the Pre-harvest event, is designed as an ideal scenario to foster collaborations and integration, within the industry.

Over the course of the three days, participants will have the opportunity to exchange experiences, explore appropriate technologies, enhance productivity and create a network of opportunities.

Don’t miss out on this transformative event making waves in the agricultural industry over a decade now.

Kindly click the link to register   https://forms.gle/BbvG9CgxD5hGLJCV7

BY :AGRIWATCH REPORTER