The Department of Agriculture of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the Eastern Regional Coordinating Council has commenced a five-day Eastern Commodity Satellite Market Fair to promote agribusiness across the region and beyond.
The fourth edition of the market fair, held in Koforidua, had the theme: ‘Fostering agribusiness growth and youth development: The role of the Eastern Commodity Satellite Market Fair.’
The aim is to create a robust platform for promoting agribusiness within and outside the region.
The event featured a range of activities, including the opening of an exhibition fair, a conference of stakeholders, and stakeholders’ engagement with key organizations such as Yara Ghana, Food and Drugs Authority, and Ghana Enterprise Agency.
Also, attendees can participate in free health screening and medical service delivery. The exhibition and fair will also be a major part of the event.
Mr. Seth Kwame Acheampong, Eastern Regional Minister, lauded the Agriculture Department and other institutions for initiating the event, adding that the collaboration underscored the importance of a multi-sectoral approach in achieving a common goal.
He entreated other departments to come on board with ideas to make the Eastern Commodity Satellite Market Fair, a case study for other regions.
The market fair was conceived to address the challenges of market access for our smallholder farmers and processors.
“The youth are not only the future leaders of our country but also the innovators of today,” he said. “It is, therefore, crucial to invest in the development of the youth for the building of a resilient and dynamic agribusiness sector.”
The Eastern Regional Co-ordinating Council was, in this regard, poised to continue the journey towards making the region a hub of agribusiness innovation and excellence, he noted.
Hajia Habiba Yusifu, Eastern Regional Director of Agriculture, said the fair, since its inception in 2021, had grown in scope and impact, facilitated successful market linkages for over 13,000 farmers and small-scale processors.
She said it had also exhibited over 60 brands of value-added products and generating an impressive transaction value of millions of Ghana cedis.
Regarding challenges, she stated that the Modernizing Agriculture in Ghana (MAG) Program, which supported the sensitization and coaching of several local processors on product certification and registration, supported the cost of products on laboratory analysis, and misconceptions about regulatory authorities had ended in 2023.
That it had left a huge gap in such areas, which urgently needed to be filled.
She appealed to sponsors and partners to step in and support the coaching, sensitization, and certification efforts, particularly for the new and emerging agribusinesses and youth agripreneurs.
“This support is vital in ensuring that their products meet the required standards for both local and international markets,” she indicated.
Source: GNA
