The 8th Pre-harvest Exhibition and Conference, which is slated for 3rd to 5th October, will feature workshops on ‘Planting for Food and Jobs’, the government’s flagship programme aimed at boosting agriculture; the role of the youth in agri-business; and using new technologies to improve agriculture output.
This year’s edition, which will be held at the Aliu Mahama Stadium in Tamale in the Northern Region, has been expanded into a three-day event.
Thus there will be a separate workshop to discuss Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) with a presentation by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture on the PFJ’s Goals, Targets and progress to date.
The University for Development Studies (UDS) will also undertake an assessment of PFJ’s implementation, lessons learnt and the way forward. This will be followed by a panel discussion on the topic with discussants from MoFA, UDS, Yara Ghana, USAID ADVANCE and farmers.
Additionally, the advent of new technologies and its impact on farmers’ output will be a key feature of a panel discussion at the Pre-harvest event under the Agri-tech workshop and it will showcase ideas like Agriculture incubation, a soil testing van, Aflasafe and Ripping technologies, amongst others. Participating institutions in this session will be Kosmos Energy, OCP, IITA and John Deere.
This year’s edition, which will take place
at the Aliu Mahama Sports Stadium in Tamale, the Northern regional capital, has been expanded into a three-day event.
Thus there will be separate workshops to discuss Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) with a presentation by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture on the PFJ’s Goals, targets and progress to date.
The University for Development Studies (UDS) will also undertake an assessment of PFJ’s implementation, lessons learnt and the way forward. This will be followed by a panel discussion on the topic with discussants from MoFA, UDS, Yara Ghana, USAID ADVANCE and farmers.
Another theme during the event will be on ‘Youth in Agribusiness’ where some of Ghana’s development partners will have a roundtable on the importance of young people’s participation in agriculture, the largest employer in the country, as a way of reducing youth unemployment.
Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa, the Executive Director of Agrihouse Foundation
Panelists are drawn from World Food Programme, YARA Ghana, USAID, KOICA, UK, representatives from the Dutch embassy and the Youth in Agric Directorate of the Ministry of Agric.
There will be additional sessions including Custom & Contract Farming and Farming with Purpose to be led by the World Food Programme, Seed Quality by Nastag, RMG, Dizengoff and Mofa Seed Inspection Unit; Agric Financing led by Ecobank, Mel Consulting, GIPC and GEPA.
A Field Demo session is also expected with Green Housing by Dizengoff, Corn Sheller by Motorking, Fertilizer Application and Mechanization by Yara Ghana and John Deere respectively.
Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa, the Executive Director of Agrihouse Foundation, Organisers of the Pre-harvest confab said the Pre-harvest event is one of the biggest platforms for the convergence of all stakeholders in the agriculture sector and therefore creates the biggest opportunity for business development among others.”
Over 2000 participants and exhibitors are expected to attend to interact, establish business relationships and discuss contracts as well as explore and exploit other growth opportunities in the sector.
There will also be key activities such as training programmes, workshops, field demonstrations, and exhibitions among others.
Aside showcasing the many activities and businesses in the various areas of the agriculture sector, such as seed production, fertilizer, finance, fisheries, storage, machinery, livestock, packaging & processing, ICT among others, participants will be taken through practical and engaging sessions at the conference to enable them gain deeper insights into best practices as well as on how to take full advantage of the numerous opportunities in the agric sector for growth.
The 8th Pre-Harvest Agribusiness Exhibition and Conference is being organised in partnerships with the World Food Programme, USAID ADVANCE, the Northern Regional Coordinating Council, Northern Development Authority and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
Sponsors include Yara Ghana, Mel Consulting, Ecobank, Kosmos Energy, Interplast Limited, Motor King, Hatoum Trading, LK International, RMG, Dizengoff, and Tata John Deere.