Agrihouse Foundation in partnership with the Northern Regional Coordinating Council (NRCC) have slated Tuesday, October 19 to Thursday, October 21 of this year, as dates for the 11^th Pre-harvest Agribusiness Exhibition and Conference.  

This year’s edition, which is on the theme “Working Together to Improve Market Channels for Agri-foods Beyond the Pandemic,” will take place at the Aliu Mahama Sports Stadium, in Tamale in the Northern region.

The three  (3)days leading Agribusiness market linkage conference and exhibitions event, will as part of the Training and Capacity session,  highlight and address the a challenges the COVID-19 pandemic has intensified within the sector, the effects it has posed on marketing Agri-foods, while exploring existing market channels to address these challenges.

The event will also make room, for a farmer-buyer platform, where farmers of various commodities, including maize, rice, milliet, sorghum, soyabeans, cowpea, cashew, shea and meet, negotiate and sign supply deals with buyers.

Another key highlight of the 3-day event, will be the Field demonstrations, where farmers and actors get to practically learn, appreciate and adopt best practices in Farm Management.  This will take place at the Agrihouse Foundation AGRI-VILLAGE, a Ten (10) acre land, donated by the Bamvim Lana (Chief of Bamvim).  It is expected that, Companies leading various Training sessions, will setup mini-demonstration fields for a more engaging practical session.

In the short to long term, the Agrihouse Foundation Agri-village 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, laboratories and research centers.

In a release, the Executive Director of Agrihouse Foundation, Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa, has noted that, “the Pre-harvest event, over the  past (10) years, has created and connected, through exhibitions,  companies  that are into fertilizers, seeds, Irrigation, machinery and equipment, Finance, Transportation, ICT, Processors, Packagers, Marketers, Government Institutions, Development Partners, among others. Over 90 percent of companies and participants have been linked to markets through the Exhibitions, which runs throughout the 3-day event.

She said, in 2020 (the 10^th edition), one hundred and twenty-two (122), companies registered and participated in the Exhibitions; and even now, “as the Country is opening up, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and from current trends and the on-going registration process, we are positive, a good number of Companies, will sign –up to showcase their products and services. This year’s Pre-Harvest event will not come short in playing its role in facilitating farmers and agro-processors to access opportunities to expand their growth potentials and build new partnerships. We have a strong team with the capacity to ensure that,” she said. The Pre-harvest event is a major interventional and a leading event on the Ghanaian agricultural calendar and has over the years 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 linked to markets, finance, inputs, equipment, and information through larger commercial farmers and traders who have the capacity and incentive to invest in smallholder production.

In light of this, the three (3) day event will feature activities such as; training, panel and open discussions, field demonstrations, keynotes and Exhibitions, while displaying, promoting business and networking opportunities through the conference that would run alongside the event.

“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,” Ms. Akosa added.