Poor market access during bumper harvest in the northern region has become a major challenge militating against farmers, thereby disconnecting from their markets.
Most farmers harvest their crops not having ready market to sell, this leads to poor sales, destruction of farm produce etc.
In view of this, GIZ at the just ended 12th Annual pre-harvest agri-business conference and exhibition in Tamale educated farmers on innovative means of planning for the farming seasons in order to get profit from the sale of their farm produce.
The outcome is to help farmers maximize productivity, create and access markets and prepare for the pre- season.
The farmers were also taking through mechanisms to make the most out of the minor, major and pre-seasons.
GIZ facilitating Officer, Mr Reuben who took farmers through the business aspect of farming advised them to consider the availability of market as they prepare the land to the stage of cultivation. He says most farmers harvest their crops without knowing the buyers.
”The main thing is that if you want to produce, you should know who you are producing for, and if you can enter into a contract with the person or group, it is necessary,” advised.
He also advised farmers to seek Agricultural services such as fertilizer application, land preparation and seed etc. in order to get good yields.
The farmers at the discussion used the opportunity to appeal to the government and NGOs to create market opportunities for them to be able to sell their produce. They say their produce are left to rot due to a lack of ready market, hence the need for government to intervene. ”We usually harvest our crops and no one comes to buy, even those who come, want to buy at a cheaper price,” Amina sulemana, one of the farmers laments.
”We need serious buyers, after several months of suffering to produce, selling it becomes very difficult, so we really need help”, one of them also cries.
The farmers also appealed for farm equipment for ploughing and planting. ”The other challenge we face as farmers has to do with farm equipment, during farming, we suffer a lot as a result of the absence of equipment”, they said.
GIZ MOAP programme
The Market Oriented Agriculture Programme (MOAP) is designed to support aspiring female entreprenueurs in the agric-processing and service sector. The programme works with selected value chains and promotes all relevant actors from seed producers and tree nurseries, to farmers, gricultural trade, agricultural service providers and buyers, to processors and exporters.
This results in better products quality, higher levels of income and more employment throughout the entire value chain.
Training for farming practices and quality standards as well as the further development of specalized private service providers increase the quantity and quality of the products.
The Programme assists processing companies in Ghana, which produce dried friut, juice, spices and cosmetics, among other things.
It focuses on optimising production processes and food safety, as well as the development of new products and their marketing.
In addition, MOAP works together closely with the Ghana agricultural ministry and its authorities. This cooperation aims to create effective frameworks, improve state advisory services for farmers and businesses, and to enable expert inspections of businesses.
Impacts
Over 40, 000 farmers have received training on good farming practices to date. Thanks to adapted techniques in field and orchards, and improved plants, pineapple yields have increased by 14 percent since 2016.
Rice, sorghum and soya yields in North-West Ghana even doubled in 2017. Approximately, 2,000 producers have been certified in international sustainability standards such as organic and Global G.A.P.
This has provided them to export to Europe and provide processing companies with organic standards. As a result of the certification, they have been able to negotiate long-term buyer agreements and prices up to twice as high.
Their businesses recorded increased costs of around 40 percent, but despite this they also increased their revenue per hectare by up to 250 percent.
