The partnership worth $75, 000 in the form technical and financial assistance to help farmers and agro-processors expand business opportunities and build new partnerships to foster the growth of Ghana’s Agriculture sector and generally improve food and nutrition security.

Ms Rukia Yacoub, the WFP Representative and Country Director, speaking at a media briefing on the partnership said WFP has participated in some previous Pre-harvest events, where they sponsored hundreds of farmers to enrol in the purchase for progress initiative.

The Exhibition and Conference is a business forum and an interventional platform that provides opportunities for various value chain actors in the agriculture sector to meet and discuss business contracts as well as work together as a coherent team, whose goal is to ensure that enough produce is available locally for consumption thereby drastically reducing importation.

 She said their participation in the conference this year was not new, but on a larger scale due to the current focus area of their support in Ghana.“For the upcoming event, WFP plan to sponsor the participation of 200 farmers from the three Northern Regions, Ashanti and Brong Ahafo Regions,” she added.

She said the 8th Pre-harvest Agribusiness event would highlight agro-economic opportunities to investors, policy-makers, business leaders, academic, finance professionals, key government agencies, input dealers among others.

Ms Yacoub said during the three-day event, the WFP would lead discussions on the importance and role of supply chain in food systems and agribusiness, focusing on specialised nutritious foods.

She said they would also lead the discussions on Sustainable Agricultural Warehousing and Storage, Post-harvest Management and Food Safety and Quality Standards.  She said smallholder farmers would get the opportunity to learn about innovations and technologies, participate in trainings, exhibitions, field demonstrations and market linkages.

The Country Director said WFP looks forward to working with all stakeholders for the transformation of the agribusiness sector into a more inclusive, equitable, climate smart and oriented towards the improvement of lives of rural poor and vulnerable people.

She said in Ghana, their support to government has always ensured that they keep in step with the National priorities and the country’s development stage.

She said thanks to the Canada for their partnership and funding, WFP Ghana has moved from most of the traditional programmes implemented in other countries. Ms Yacoub said currently “We are working with the Ghana Health Service and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture on an innovative integrated food security and nutrition programme, which has the private sector at the centre.”

Under the programme, two industrial agro-processors in Kumasi and Sunyani have been supported to improve on their factories to enable them produce specialised fortified nutritious foods of international standards.

She said these products were being provided and sold to mothers to help reduce malnutrition; particularly stunting among children.Ms Alberta Nana Akyea Akosa, Executive Director of Agrihouse Foundation, said the 8th edition of the event was expected to see an even bigger participation as more and more famers, farmer groups and businesses in the sector have expressed interest in participating.

She said this year’s edition has attracted many inputs from private sector and international organizations, which would make it an exciting experience. “We expect a much larger number of participating exhibitors and conference attendees this year, judging from the early signals we are picking up,” she said.

The Executive Director said, “Agribusiness is the way to go in poverty reduction and national development. “I am elated and grateful to the various institutions that have seen wisdom in this idea and have supported it over the years.”

She called on other well-meaning organizations to come forward to lend their support, so that together they could build a stronger agriculture sector and a bigger national economy led by agriculture.