118 Exhibitors, over 3,000 Participants Recorded at 11th Pre-harvest Agribusiness Conference

Organizers of the 11^th Pre-harvest Agribusiness Conference and Exhibitions, Agrihouse Foundation, has revealed that this year’s event, organized held in Tamale, in the Northern region, recorded 118 Exhibitors and over 3,000 participants.

Exhibiting organizations included agric companies like Yara Ghana, UFCL, Ecobank, Agricultural Development Bank, HD-PLUS, GIZ MOAP, GIZ MOAP, Demeter, World Food Programme, Environmental Protection Agency, SAPIP/SIP, Ghana Standards Authority, Ghana Export Promotion Authority, and the PPMED-MoFA.

Others included the Food and Drugs Authority, Regional Department of Agriculture Savannah Region, Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, the University of Development Studies, and Women in Agricultural Development.

Machinery and Equipment companies included Hi-Farm Agro and Machinery Ghana Limited, Dizengoff Ghana, Kosmos Innovation Centre, Japan Motors Trading Co Ltd, Agrovolta, Mechanical Lloyd Plc, Kanu Equipment, SAYeTECH, FarmMech, Indo Farm, Nyame Nhyira Nti, and Mayiya Investments limited.

Processors included agricare, kofi vinyo and Co. LTD, Flour Mills Of Ghana Ltd, Animal Health and Productions College, Gate Taang Kpam Cooperative Enterprise LBG, Tezaa Shea Consult, B-diet, Faranaya/ Mariam special snacks, Py-16co Ltd (Pauly Foods Gh), and Bafara Vision Farm, among others.

Participants were made up of Farmers Groups, such as Gushegu OB Network, Tamale OB Network, Jirapa OB Network, Kusaug OB NETWORK, Nawuni OB Network Sissala Area OB Network, Tininyangi OB Network, Yendi OB Network Ghana National Association of Farmers and Fishermen, and Beinmoni Outgrower Business (OB) NETWORK have also confirmed their participation in the event.

Others include, Jirapa Outgrower Business, Nawuni Nsungti Outgrower Business, Gushegu OB Network, Tininyangi OB Network, Kusaug OB Network, Sissala area OB Network, Nawuni Nsungti OB Network, Wa OB Network, Tamale OB Network, and West Mamprusi Fishermen Business Association.

The rest are Amwell Woman, Upper West Outgrowers Association, Nasia Woman Group, Gnaff Northern Region, Agric Mechanized Group, Happy Farmers’ Cooperative, Midway Investment, Pagsung Shea butter Association.

This year’s event, on the theme, “Working Together to Improve Market Channels for Agri-foods Beyond the Pandemic,” was in collaboration with the Northern Regional Coordinating Council, and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA).

Sponsors of this year’s event were YARA, Ecobank Ghana PLC, World Food Programme, ADB-Agricultural Development Bank, GIZ MOAP, Demeter Ghana Limited, United Fertilizers Company Limited (UFCL), and HD PLUS.

The over three thousand participants received training in various capacity building topics, including best practices they can adopt as farmers to increase their yields in Rice, Maize, Millet, Yam & Tubers, Vegetable Soybean, Sorghum, Groundnut and cowpea production.

Sessions like the Commodity Breakout Session and Farmer-Buyer Matchmaking Dialogues connected aggregators and farmers of rice, maize, millet, sorghum, soyabeans, groundnut, yam and tubers, etc to buyers and processing companies looking to purchase raw materials in large quantities. This gave our farmers and buyers opportunites to make negotiations and deals ahead of the harvest season. This year, 46 buyers negotiated and signed deals with farmers. Such engagements allow for direct market for the farmers, and halts concerns like post-harvest losses.

Furthermore, as part of activities, successful agribusiness modules like Asaasewura, facilitated by YARA, was discussed and showcased as part of the capacity building sessions; to introduce farmers and stakeholders to successful cases studies of agribusinesses and projects, that they could possibly adopt, as they curve a growth and investment path, for their respective Agribusinesses.

The Gender Workshop underscored the efforts of women in the agric space, while highlighting support structures that can be improved or designed to help them scale-up their efforts to build sustainable food systems.

The Agri-Youth Forum was both practical and motivational; a session that shed light on how today’s Youth, can connect to the future of agriculture, through diverse innovative and creative approaches.

The Development Panel conversations, on the last day of the event, included Yara, Ecobank, World Food Programme, GIZ Moap, ADB, Demeter, UFCL and other Public Units, deliberated on realistic ways to cooperate and work together, to improve upon and build resilient markets. This panel explored this year’s theme, and committed to a call to action that would enable them curve a working pathway, with timeliness to achieve, improve, strengthen and sustain a resilient agri market.

Field demonstrations, this year, gave farmers and actors the opportunity to get practical learn, appreciate and adopt best practices in Farm Management.  The demonstrations took place at the Agrihouse Foundation AGRI-VILLAGE, a Ten (10) acre land, donated by the Bamvim Lana (Chief of Bamvim).  Companies leading various Training sessions, will setup mini-demonstration fields for a more engaging practical session.

Throughout the three days event a colourful Exhibition was mounted to make room for the over 1oo exhibitors who registered to be at event to display their produce, products and services.

IMPACTS OF PRE-HARVEST OVER THE YEARS

Pre-harvest has created and continues to connect, through exhibitions, and training sessions, companies that are into fertilizers, seeds, Irrigation, machinery and equipment, Finance, Transportation, ICT, Processors, Packagers, Marketers, Government Institutions, Development Partners, among others. Over 90% of companies and participants have been linked to markets through the Exhibitions.

Pre-harvest has become a leading event on the Ghanaian agricultural calendar and has served as a stimulating platform for training, and for creating increased stakeholder linkages, exhibitions and expanded opportunities. It operates from a facilitative dimension by presenting a highly engaging and coordinated platform that ensures that smallholder farmers are connected to markets, finance, inputs, equipment, and information.

These activities are geared towards capturing the marketing challenges faced by the actors especially in the pandemic and how other modernized marketing platforms can serve as a solution to maximize the output of the actors along the value chain. Farmers, actors along the value chain and participants will be equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to observe Good Agricultural Practices.

In 2020, (10th edition) the event recorded a total of 3,122 participants and 122 exhibitors including farmers, traders, commodity brokers, input companies, machinery and equipment providers, transporters, financial institutions, ICT, Innovations, Poultry and Livestock companies, packaging and processing companies, development practitioners and government agencies, among others.

Report on the 2019 event showed that about 70 business deals were made during the Exhibition. More than GHS232, 420, 745 of agri products and equipment were sold and bought. The event has improved the livelihoods of the players along the value chain by boosting their confidence i.e. created a stimulus platform for collaborating with other actors for business deals/increased stakeholders linkages.

It has given agro-processors a strong drive to access their raw materials locally, agribusiness development, grown the local economy through the expansion of agribusiness opportunities and has become a platform of growth for agribusiness entrepreneurs. The event will remain one of the leading events in the country, where farmers, businesses, government and ideas meet to network, build capacity, learn and explore business opportunities, sign deals and close contracts.

In 2018, the event won the Agribusiness event of the Year, for helping to promotes business partnerships among value chain actors, especially farmers, buyers, processors, transporters, input dealers, equipment dealers, financial institutions, telecom companies and policy makers. Over the years, through continuous improvement, it has accelerated the transformation of agribusiness in Northern Ghana, alongside Government’s initiatives.