Vendors who participated in a General Agricultural Workers’ Union (GAWU)-organised fair have commended the union for creating a platform to showcase their products and connect them to potential customers.

Drawn from agribusinesses and small-scale food enterprises, the vendors said the initiative provided valuable visibility, learning opportunities and prospects for improved sales as the event progressed.

Ms Vicentia Ayodeke, a petty trader dealing in groundnuts, powdered pepper, rice, and tea, said the fair had enabled her to present her range of products to a wider audience.

“I thank the organisers very much. Here, people will be able to know what products we are selling,” she said in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on Monday.

The platform offered vendors the opportunity to meet new customers and explain their offerings directly, Ms Ayodeke said, expressing optimism that sales would improve as awareness of the event increased.

Similarly, Ms Gillian Ansah, an engineer with Agri Impact Limited, said while sales had been relatively slow on the first day, the experience had been encouraging.

“Because it’s the first day, it has been a bit slow. We are hoping that by the end of the day, we will have made more sales. But it’s been good so far,” she noted.

Ms Gillian lauded the organisers for bringing vendors together under one roof to exhibit their products and services.

“I would like to thank the organisers of the fair. They’ve done a good job by calling us to come and exhibit our products. We hope they do it over and over again,” she added.

Another vendor, Ms Peggy Tano of Ireco Royal Farms, said her business exhibited a variety of food items, including grilled chicken, grilled goat, fresh bread, ice cream and fresh fruits.

She appealed to the organisers to enhance publicity about the products available at the fair to attract more visitors.

“My message to the organisers is to announce that we have fresh ice, fresh bread, grilled chicken and other things that people can come and patronise,” she said.

She also acknowledged the importance of the GAWU initiative in supporting small businesses, particularly those in the agricultural value chain, by providing market access and exposure.

Such events were critical for promoting local production, boosting entrepreneurship and strengthening linkages between producers and consumers, Ms Tano said.