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By Rosemary\u00a0 Wayo<\/p>\n
Tamale, Oct. 26, GNA \u2013 Agrihouse Foundation has opened its 12th annual pre-harvest agribusiness exhibition and conference to connect people involved in agricultural value chains.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The event, currently underway is taking place at the Aliu Mahama Sports Stadium in Tamale with the aim of encouraging business partnerships.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 It is in partnership with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), and Northern Regional Coordinating Council, with sponsorship from from Yara Ghana, Ecobank, Agricultural Development Bank and GIZ.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0 The exhibition has the theme: \u201cConnecting the Unconnected \u2013 The Farmer, the Buyer and the Market\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 It featured over 100 dealers who exhibited agrochemicals, seeds and farm machinery and inputs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The three-day event includes commodity break-out sessions for farmers, processors and other participating categories to receive capacity building training.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Miss Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa, Executive Director of Agrihouse Foundation, in her welcome address, said over the years, Agrihouse through the exhibition platform had linked small scale enterprises to buyers at local and international levels.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 She said the platform had connected many agriculture value chain actors, generated substantial revenue, and urged participants to use the opportunity to build long lasting relationships with other businesses.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mr Yaw Frimpong Addo, Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture, said the Ministry acknowledged that pre-harvest conferences over the years had provided unique platforms for effective communication of plans and programmes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He said agribusiness had also contributed to the country\u2019s agricultural system, by eliminating gender biases, insecurity and promoting seasonal farming that had transformed and given practical meaning to agriculture in the country.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He stated that MoFA, since 2017, had set out strategic initiatives such as the Planting for Food and Jobs to tackle the fundamentals of agriculture.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Alhaji Shani Alhassan Saibu, Northern Regional Minister, commended Agrihouse Foundation for sustaining the event that connected agricultural stakeholders in the region.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He described the theme as apt and said poor market access during bumper harvest was becoming a major challenge militating against farmers in the country, adding that farmers would be disconnected from their markets if the situation persisted.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He urged stakeholders to invest in improving the state of market channels within the agricultural sector to halt challenges such as post-harvest losses, poor pricing and transportation issues.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mr Danquah Addo-Yobo, West Africa Regional Director of Yara International encouraged participants to pursue opportunities and take advantage of Yara\u2019s initiatives to grow their businesses.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He noted that as part of the Yara Grow Ghana initiative, the organisation would donate 300 bags of fertilizer each, to women in the Saint Cecilia Cooperative and the Northern Widows Association by the close of the event.\u00a0<\/p>\n
GNA\u00a0<\/p>\n