News of March 10, 2021 – Emmanuel – www.padfm.com.gh
The Ahafo Regional Directorate of Agriculture has held a Regional Agricultural Business Development Partnership(RABP) stakeholders forum yesterday 9th March,2021, here at Goaso.
The meeting, according to the directorate, was to deliberate on the challenges in the agricultural value chain for commodities, especially rice and maize and how to effectively create market linkages between the various value chain actors in the region.
The Regional Director of Agriculture, Mr. Kingsford Nyame said there has been a sustained increase in agricultural production in the region mostly due to Planting for Food and Jobs( PFJ) programme, thus the need to focus on creating stronger and sustained marketing avenues for the produce.
He noted that in the past years, most well – established processing companies source their raw materials from neighbouring countries because local producers were not able to meet their specifications in terms of quality and quantity.
” the processing chain also lacked modern machinery, appropriate packaging materials and proper labelling, hence their inability to enter the export market. Inadequate formal contracts between actors created a weak linkage in the value chain “. He added
Mr. Kingsford Nyame said effective marketing plays the role of bridging the gab between different needs of actors in the value chain, producers would know what to produce, when to produce, consumers would also know what is available for purchase and at what price.
” when the market is well – coordinated, it leads to satisfaction of the actors in the value chain. It will improve on the income levels of farmers and economic growth of the region”. He said
The Chief Director of the Regional Coordinating Council(RCC), Mr Ebenezer Amoah, lauded the government’s flagship agricultural programme namely Planting for Export and Rural Development (PERD), Rearing for Food and Jobs (RFJ), Greenhouse villages and Agricultural Mechanisation Service Centres(AMSECs) all under PFJ.
He observed that the absence of market linkages to ensure ready market for farm produce has led to increased post – harvest losses in the region especially rice and tomatoes saying, ” let us all join hands to address this issue once and for all “.
Mr Ebenezer Amoah said the region has seen tremendous increase in the cultivation of rice and maize and other produce which meet consumer taste and preference,hence the need to assist producers to get ready market for their produce for maximum benefits.
A farmer and processor, Mr. Abdul Hamid, on behalf of the participants,thanked the regional directorate of Agriculture for organising the programme and promised to improve on quality and quantity of produce in order to receive buyers and good price.
The forum was attended by financial institutions, aggregators, processors,marketers, consumers, school – feeding programme caterers,agricultural technical officers,farmers, transporters, buyers, members of RCC, Ghana Prisons service, the press among others.
