Israeli Embassy Supports Agrihouse to Map Out Plans for Training and Demonstrations Centre

The Israeli Embassy has committed to support Agrihouse Foundation map out a workable plan that will in the short to long term, lead to the development of the ‘Agrihouse AGRI-VILLAGE Training, Exhibitions and Demonstrations Centre,’ to be situated in, Bamvim, in the Northern region.

In light of this, the Embassy has recently sponsored Agrihouse to undertake land surveys and demarcations at the site that will enable construction works to begin soon, when the two organizations finalize and firm up deliberations.

The Executive Director of Agrihouse Foundation, Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa, at the recent launch of the 11^th edition Pre-havest event, noted that when the Centre is completed, it will become a state of the art Agri-Tourism and Training Destination in the Northern region, and the first of its kind in the country, providing a home for hundreds of agribusinesses. The location will further support in fully commercializing the sector, whiles serving as a training and exhibitions destination for the country.

The venue is expected to house different type of farms (including seeds and Livestock Farms); Demonstration Centers; Conference / Workshop halls; Restrooms; Exhibition stores for Agric Companies; Training and Recreational Centers; Storage space; Processing centers; Production room; and Laboratories and Research Centers.

This year’s Pre-harvest Agribusiness Exhibitions and Conference, held in Accra, on the theme, “Working Together to Improve Market Channels for Agri-foods Beyond the Pandemic.” It is scheduled to open in Tamale, at the Alieu Mahama sports Stadium, from Tuesday, 19 October to Thursday, 21 of October 2021.

For his part, the Assistant Farm Manager of Bamvim Farms and son of the Chief of Bamvim, Mr. Haruna Mahama Abubakari-Sadiq, at the launch, presented Agrihouse Foundation, with the official site plan for the 10-acre land donated to the Foundation by the Chief of Bamvim Traditional Area, Bamvimlana Mahama Abdulai the Second.

Presenting the document, Mr. Haruna Mahama Abubakari-Sadiq, noted that over the past ten years, Pre-harvest has been the key event supporting the growth and development of agriculture in the northern parts of the country.

He said the 3-days market linkage event has been very consistent each year, linking farmers to buyers including, fertilizer companies, seed companies, tractor and equipment companies, financial institutions, and ICT companies, among others. “I can confidently say that the annual Pre-harvest conference is the leading Agricultural Market platform on the Ghanaian Agribusiness calendar,” he emphasized. “This development has also made it paramount for Agrihouse Foundation to acquire a dedicated, accessible and good land to continue its good work in the agric space,” added.

According to him, the Chiefs and Traditional heads in the Northern region are happy to support Agrihouse Foundation because, over the years, they have been part of Pre-harvest, and and have witnessed the success the event has brought in the northern region.

“I am standing here with an envelope containing a document for a 10-acre site plan, registered in the name of Agrihouse Foundation, so they can begin their work to build a state-of the-art agricultural facility, that will support farmers across the country and attract international and development partners to support in practically demonstrating agric growth,” he said.

He used the opportunity to call on Government, the private sector and donor agencies to support Agrihouse Foundation to develop the AGRI-VILLAGE, which will be the first of its kind in the country.

About Pre-Harvest Agribusiness Conference & Exhibitions

Now in its 11^th year, the Pre-harvest Annual Exhibitions and Conference has become one of the leading and highly impactful interventional events on the Ghanaian Agribusiness calendar.

It won the Agribusiness event of the Year in 2018. The event promotes business Partnerships among value chain actors, especially farmers, buyers, processors, transporters, input dealers, equipment dealers, financial institutions, telecom companies and policy makers.

It also seeks to accelerate the transformation of agribusiness in Northern Ghana with the Government’s initiatives, a strong drive by agro-processors to source raw materials locally, a growing band of agribusiness entrepreneurs, and lessons from development Partner interventions.

The event also aims to get the Agribusiness sector to influence transformation, with the heightened focus on public-private Partnerships, investment opportunities and creating an action-driven blueprint for an increasingly sustainable agricultural movement.

Started in October 2010 in Tamale in the Northern Region, by the USAID ADVANCE, the Annual Pre-harvest Agribusiness Exhibitions and Conference event was handed over to Agrihouse Foundation, in 2018, in an effort to scale the event up and to allow for more public and Private sector participation.  The handing over was also to allow for further growth, sustainability and expansion.

Since the handing over in 2018, Agrihouse Foundation, together with Partners have steadily grown the platform, from a day’s event, to a 3-day event. The Farmer, private, public and stakeholder participation has also increased significantly over the last 3 years, making huge impacts, through market linkages, trainings, demonstrations and other capacity building sessions. The event has grown to be an Award Winning Market linkage event and the leading Agribusiness platform in the country.

In 2020, 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.

The agribusiness exhibitions and conference event has since its inception continuously and consistently scaled-up accessibility to market and strengthened the value chain of agribusinesses in the country. It is currently the only event within the country’s agricultural space that and facilitates ready market engagements, for farmers and agribusinesses.