Agrihouse Foundation’s year of Harvesting Hope

As the sun rises on a new year, Agrihouse Foundation welcomes all our valued supporters, partners and the entire Ghanaian community to what promises to be a fruitful 2024! It’s with great enthusiasm and renewed energy that we embark on another chapter of growth and innovation in the agricultural landscape.

Reflecting on our journey, the past years have been a testament to the shared commitment toward sustainable agriculture and rural development. Together, we have cultivated impactful projects, nurtured agricultural knowledge and sown the seeds of positive change in communities across the nation.

This year, we are thrilled to continue with our impactful projects and unveil new projects that promise to elevate our impact and further empower the agricultural sectors. The initiatives line-ups are:

6^th Gathering of the Royals

This year, we initiate our activities with the ‘Gathering of the Royals’, scheduled for February 7, 2024. This interventional initiative brings together queen mothers who are into agriculture across the sixteen regions of Ghana to engage in a dialogue on issues affecting agriculture in their respective regions and communities. The aim is to collaboratively seek possible solutions to these challenges.

The ‘Gathering of the Royals’ initiative has over the years, through the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, successfully facilitated the deployment of extension officers to areas lacking their services.

Additionally, through the initiative, OCP Africa introduced the Royals in Agribooster initiative, leveraging queen mothers to provide training to farmers.

This effort has resulted in training over ten communities in the Oti Region, Upper East and Upper West Regions, with plans of extending the programme to other regions.

Through the ‘Gathering of the Royals’ initiative, the Director-General of Welfare for the Ghana Police Service, COP Mrs. Habiba Yaa Akyere Twumas, has – through her effort –  supported the queen mothers to establish the community watch policing to ensure sustainability of agri peace in the farming communities.

Through the initiative and with the support from OCP Ghana, Yara Ghana, Moudlyne Ghana limited and Agromonti, the initiative supplies basic input and fertilisers to farmers using queen mothers  as entry point to support, enhance and improve nutrition. So far, over 300 households has benefitted from the initiative through the  1 household 1 garden initiative. The initiative has consistently strengthened the relationship between queen mothers and stakeholders in the agricultural sector. By providing practical solutions to agricultural problems, it has increased access to investment and funding opportunities for queen mothers and their communities.

7^th Agricultural Students’ Career Guidance and Mentorship Dialogue Bootcamp (AG-STUD)

The second event on our calendar is the Agricultural Students’ Career Guidance and Mentorship Dialogue Bootcamp (AG-STUD) scheduled for April 8, 11 and 12, 2024. The bootcamp provides mentorship, guidance and networking opportunities to students and young professionals interested in agricultural careers.

This yearly agribusiness initiative is designed to develop the expertise of agricultural students, beginner agribusinesses and start-ups, exposing them to the dynamics of the market through education, mentorship, training guidance and networking.

The AG-STUD Bootcamp has impacted over 12,300 beginner agribusiness owners and students over the years, helping them develop skills, build networks and create opportunities in the agriculture industry.

The initiative has also been able to provide employment and internship opportunities for students and young professionals from various disciplines, inspiring and empowering the next generation of agricultural leaders, entrepreneurs and innovators.

6^th Women in Food and Agricultural Leadership Forum (Wofagric) and Gold in the Soil Award

The 6^th Women in Food and Agricultural Leadership Forum (WOFAGRIC) and Gold in the Soil Award, scheduled for June this year, is an intervention platform providing opportunities for women farmers and farmers with disabilities across various value chains in the agricultural sector. The forum aims to recognise, celebrate, award, mentor and train women in agriculture.

Now in its sixth year, WOFAGRIC & Gold in the Soil Awards – held annually in different regions, has provided mentorship, networking and financial support to over five thousand (5000) women across the agricultural value chain. The programme targets women farmers and farmers with disabilities, agripreneurs, key stakeholders, development partners, researchers, farmer groups, government agencies, businesses, professional advisors and corporate organisations, fostering a more inclusive and sustainable agricultural sector.

The two-day event, to be held in the Bono Region, will feature over 600 participants engaging in activities such as break-out panel discussions, training workshops, exhibitions, trade shows, speed networking, and mentorship sessions. The highlight will be the prestigious Gold in the Soil Awards, recognising exceptional women farmers and women with disabilities contributing significantly to the agricultural industry.

4^th Ghana Poultry Day

The 4^th Ghana Poultry Day, scheduled for July 1, 2024, is an intervention, educational and family-oriented initiative aimed at promoting the poultry industry in Ghana. It highlights the importance of the poultry sector to Ghana’s economy, campaigns for the patronage of locally produced poultry, and emphasises job opportunities within the poultry industry.

The Ghana Poultry Day/Ghana Poultry Festival serves as a pivotal force in advancing holistic advocacy to boost the support and consumption of locally produced poultry, emphasising its nutritional and economic benefits. In the previous year, our efforts extended to championing the recognition of July 1 as the National Poultry Day, engaging politicians, Members of Parliament, musicians, media personalities, bloggers and CEOs to showcase their cooking skills using local poultry.

The event aims to celebrate the significant contributions of the poultry industry to our economy, promote sustainable practices, and create awareness about the importance of consuming local poultry.

This year, as we scale up, our focus is on celebrating the diversity within the poultry industry, embracing diverse flavours and breeds, and emphasising their contribution to nourishing the nation.

This year, sixteen (16) Members of Parliament representing sixteen regions, footballers and media personalities will lead and champion the cause to drive the advocacy.

5^th Livestock, Poultry and Fisheries Tradeshow

The 5^th Livestock, Poultry and Fisheries Tradeshow (LiPF) is an initiative by Agrihouse Foundation that showcases and promotes the livestock, poultry and fisheries production value chain through training, mentoring and exhibitions. Over the past years, the project has created direct and indirect market links between animal agribusiness owners and participants. The project has supported the opportunity in building innovative businesses.

In our quest for exciting activities, we invite poultry and fisheries farmer groups, tertiary institutions, agriculture companies, Ghana Enterprises Agency, national farmers and fishermen, Award Winners Association of Ghana to participate in the event. Over 3,210 participants have benefitted from the project.

14^th Pre-Harvest Agribusiness Conference and Exhibitions

Agrihouse Foundation’s Annual Pre-Harvest Agribusiness Conference and Exhibitions, now in its 14th year, has provided market linkages and built the capacity of over 300,000 value chain actors and stakeholders.

The event, held annually in the Northern Region, serves as a stimulating platform for match-making, exchange and market linkage for farmers in the Northern Region by helping to remove constraints on market access for farmers and agribusinesses, by facilitating access to lucrative markets, and cresting economic opportunities for these farmers.

The annual Pre-Harvest Agribusiness Conference and Exhibitions culminates with conference events, presentations, exhibitions and a marketplace for business-to-business meetings.

Beneficiaries and participants of the annual pre-harvest include farmer groups, buyers, development partners, policy-makers, agribusinesses, ICT professionals, aggregators, input dealers, equipment and machinery dealers, transporters, financial institutions, telecommunication companies, outgrowers, civil society and processors.

After thirteen (13) successful editions and based on feedback and testimonies, we are confident to say that the annual Pre-Harvest event has lived up to its overall goal of creating markets and linking farmers to buyers.

14^th Agriwoman Marketplace

The 14th Agriwoman Marketplace is a monthly event, an initiative of Agrihouse Foundation. Over the past years, it has played a crucial role in assisting women in Agribusiness to recover, expand and market their agricultural produce, products and services. This initiative provides exhibitions and marketing opportunities, enabling women to sell and promote their offerings while opening up their access to markets.

This year promises more exciting programmes, including panel conversations, networking, a marketplace for business-to-business meetings, fun games, capacity-building programmes and exhibitions. Over the past thirteen years, more than 600 women-led agribusinesses have benefitted from the monthly Agriwoman Marketplace.

Monthly Beginner Executive Agribusiness Masterclass

Our monthly Executive Beginner Agribusiness Masterclass will continue to equip participants with comprehensive knowledge and skills to succeed in this dynamic sector. Over the past years, we have successfully trained agribusiness beginners, providing them with the knowledge needed to start and manage their ventures.

We are delighted to announce that our first monthly Beginner Agribusiness Masterclass is set to take place on Thursday, February 29, 2024, focusing on carrot oil production.

3rd Monthly Agribusiness Skills and Jobs for the Youth roadshow With Dr. Zee

Anticipate the 3rd Monthly Agribusiness Skills and Jobs for the Youth roadshow this year. This initiative – in collaboration with the Member of Parliament for Klottey Korle Constituency, Dr. Zanetor Agyemang Rawlings, and Agrihouse Foundation – inspires, empowers, trains and provides youths, men, women, unemployed graduates and persons with disabilities with the necessary skills in agriculture to help eradicate youth unemployment in the country.

Over the years, the initiative has trained over 300 young people nationwide in rabbit and mushroom farming.

This year, we are excited about training more youths to enhance their agribusiness skills and look forward to seeing them register for the event.

1 Household 1 Garden initiative

The 1 Household 1 Garden initiative is collaterally intended to further scale up the government’s ongoing efforts to support families and communities in setting up their gardens.

It is an ideal activity for individuals and families to grow their own food for home consumption, providing a controlled small area from which they can take the leap to scale up farming.

Over the past years, we have successfully assisted families and households across the regions in setting up their backyard gardens, providing an alternative source of employment for them.

The project has benefitted 4,580 households and communities directly; and indirectly, it has impacted 30,000 people so far, including the provision of 12 assorted vegetable seeds/seedlings to households, the supply of garden tools, distribution of a garden manual guide, and more to help them grow better crops. We hope to see families and households actively participate in this year’s project.

This year, we will also unveil a line-up of new projects poised to elevate our impact and empower the agricultural sector even further. Among the initiatives in the pipeline are:

Ghana Agrochemical & Crop Protection Exhibitions & Awards (GACA)

Ghana Agrochemical & Crop Protection Exhibitions & Awards (GACA) is an interventional initiative that seeks to develop, enhance and sustain the level of crop production in-country by linking inputs dealers to their appropriate market audience in order to supply the essential resources to them for a healthy and bumper harvest .

It will also project non-agricultural drugs/pesticides, production and packaging equipment logistics and other supporting services to aid farmers and actors take a decisive stand before the planting season while creating the needed awareness for Agrochemical brands, speciality and innovations in the country.

 

The event, which also has an awards component to it, intends to work with key partners to evaluate and present awards to excellent teams or companies for their significant contribution to the development of Ghana’s input sector.

It would bring input dealers and other agriculture sector players, farmers, government agencies, partners, research institutions and stakeholders together to network, plan, strike deals and share agricultural-related information, policies and programmes which will set the pace for a transformational planting season.

 

Agrifemale Monthly Masterclass Training

As part of measures to improve female representation in the agricultural sector, Agrihouse Foundation introduces the Agrifemale Monthly Masterclass Training. This training will focus on training females in agribusiness by providing practical field demonstrations, curriculum development, skills training and lessons targeting women between the ages of 21 to 40 years in crops such as maize, rice, cowpea, groundnut, cassava, vegetables, soybeans, millet and more.

Top of Form

 

The Executive Director for Agrihouse foundation, Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa, expresses great enthusiasm for the upcoming year, “emphasising our commitment to empowering farmers and transforming the agricultural landscape. The diverse range of initiatives reflects our dedication to addressing key challenges and fostering sustainable growth. We look forward to collaborating with stakeholders and partners to make a lasting impact on the agricultural community.

‘’As our theme for the year is ‘Harvesting Hope’, we are not merely embracing a tagline, but also a profound commitment that resonates with our mission. We are dedicated to fostering a future where hope flourishes, farmers are empowered with knowledge and resources, and lives are enriched through sustainable agricultural practices.

”This theme underscores our belief in the transformative power of agriculture as a catalyst for positive change. We envision a landscape where every harvest brings not only sustenance, but also hope for a better future.

“By empowering farmers with the tools they need and enriching their lives through holistic development, we aspire to create a ripple-effect that extends to entire communities.

“We are excited about the potential impact of these initiatives and invite you to join us in our mission to create inclusive, resilient and sustainable agriculture and food systems. Together, let’s cultivate a brighter future for farmers, stakeholders and the entire agricultural sector.

“As we navigate the uncharted territories of 2024, we look forward to cultivating a future where agriculture thrives, communities prosper, and innovation becomes the heartbeat of our nation.

“Here’s to a year of growth, collaboration and sustainable impact!”

The post Agrihouse Foundation’s year of Harvesting Hope appeared first on The Business & Financial Times.

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