The Growth And Fulfillment Of The USAID Advance Pre-Harvest Agribusiness Exhibitions And Conference In Ghana
It is exactly 1:17am midnight. I am sitting on the yellow coach in my room and, as usual, thinking about all our interventional projects at Agrihouse Foundation and our African expansion agenda for 2025.
I am also planning and plotting ahead of the next few weeks, where we all converge in the Northern Region, for the 14th time, to host what has grown to be one of the prime, major, and most sustainable market linkage events in the country – the Annual Preharvest Agribusiness Exhibitions and Conference event.
My mind cast back to the year 2017, when I, my fearful yet daring self, personally put in a bid to take over the Preharvest event after the exit of the USAID ADVANCE funded project.
The USAID ADVANCE Team had advertised online and all over in the print, their desire for an organization to take over the Preharvest and sustain it.
I sincerely, at that young age, did not realize that I was about to take up and carry on my shoulders a major issue to do with market access, post-harvest losses, linkages, matchmaking, capacity building, that the Preharvest, through USAID, hopes to address or find long term solutions to, for our farmers.
Well, I went through the process until the final stage when my very young organization, Agrihouse Foundation, won the bid – we were officially selected as the new implementing organization and lead organizers of the event after the exit of the USAID ADVANCE project implementers.
With a young and dedicated team, we took the mantle to co-organize the 2017 edition of the Preharvest event with the USAID ADVANCE team. The idea was to learn and equally under study the ADVANCE team, so we can fully understand and take over.
The then Chief of Party, Dr. Emmanuel Dormon, together with Mr. Nicholas Isaaka Gbana, the Technical adviser, and Mr. Cecil Osei who is now the Chief of the Party of the USAID funded Ghana Market Systems and Resilience Activity, And other amazing team members, held our hands, made us feel a full part of the Team, and took us through every detail of the Preharvest event.
I look back now with so much admiration for the USAID ADVANCE Team, their dedication and commitment to us. I say it without mincing words that the Dr. Emmanual Dormond led team contributed immensely to our ability to manage the Preharvest and, most importantly, laid the foundation for Agrihouse Foundation to grow.
I personally still cannot comprehend why the USAID office does not see Agrihouse Foundation as more of their handy work and models of success, when it comes to their role in empowering the youth. The USAID ADVANCE did not just hand over an important event but, also demonstrated that, through Agrihouse Foundation’s young team, when the youth are empowered, resourced and directed, they can deliver and contribute to the advancement of our food systems; that is exactly what the USAID ADVANCE Project did through the Preharvest event.
This is a major win for the USAID, and I hope they will look back and be proud of what they have supported a young foundation to become, just by believing in us, being neutral and authentic and giving us an opportunity to manage the Preharvest event.
It was also during this same period of winning the bid that donor agencies and donor-funded organizations were advocating for inclusivity and, most importantly, the empowerment of women. USAID ADVANCE Project again gave Agrihouse Foundation an opportunity for women to lead. During the time we won the bid, my team members then, were just four (4) in number and, interestingly, we were all women.
What Is the Pre-Harvest Event?
The Annual Pre-harvest Agribusiness Conference and Exhibitions, handed over to Agrihouse Foundation seven years ago by the USAID Advance Project after its exit, started in 2009. The event was essentially created as a market linkage activity linking farmers to buyers.
It started as a fully funded US activity for farmers in rice, maize and soyabean.
Between 2010 and 2017, the event was annually sponsoring about 200 farmers and actors by bringing them together for a full day to build their capacity, whiles linking them to buyers and markets.
The event also built the capacity of farmers with strategic negotiation skills to aid them when negotiating for pricing with farmers.
The overall goal and objectives of the Preharvest is to transform agriculture and provide long-term market development opportunities for farmers.
The event also stands to strengthen the capacity of farmer-based organizations and aggregators of grains to enable them play a key role as agricultural market actors in Ghana.
The award-winning market-linkage platform has, for the past thirteen years, grown to become the leading market linkage platform in the country, and has also lived up to its overall goal of creating markets and linking farmers to buyers.
The event has also assisted, and continues to assist, farmers and agri-businesses to expand their businesses, before and after harvesting, and to create an enabling environment for new partnerships to promote the growth of Ghana’s agricultural sector.
- Rationale
The event assists farmers and agri-businesses to expand their businesses before and after harvesting, and creates the needed enabling environment for new partnerships to promote the growth of Ghana’s agricultural sector.
Besides market growth, the event helps farmers adopt best practices to ensure that the achievements made within the industry are sustained.
Strategic Location of Event
The geographical focus is put on northern Ghana as the agricultural potential of the northern zone where irrigation possibilities are largely untapped. Hitherto, agriculture business, investment and development in Ghana have largely taken place in the south of the country, as well as massive farming of tropical (forest) cash crops, like cocoa and palm oil.
However, the northern part of Ghana, with at least 8 million unused acres of agricultural land with highly suitable soils, is open for large scale farming, development of modern agro-industry supply chains, poultry and vegetable oils, rice, sugar, cotton, cassava, shea, highly value-added tree crops, livestock, aquaculture, etc. (SADA, 2016).
From A One Day to A Three-Day Event
The annual Pre-Harvest event was initially organized as a one-day gathering by the USAID ADVANCE Project. However, due to its undeniable impact and growing influence in the agricultural sector, it has since evolved into a three-day event.
This shift was not made lightly, but rather driven by the increasing demand and overwhelming feedback from our diverse stakeholders. Farmers, agribusinesses, policymakers, and development partners, consistently called for more time to engage, collaborate, and explore the wealth of opportunities the event offers.
In response, we extended its duration, ensuring that participants can maximize their experience, form stronger partnerships, and leverage the knowledge shared to enhance their agribusiness ventures. This transformation underscores the event’s significance and its vital role in advancing Ghana’s agricultural value chain.
The Private Sector Comes on Board
I cannot sit back and reflect on this journey without thinking about the incredible partners who have supported the Pre-Harvest event over the years. Their unwavering commitment to our vision of fostering a sustainable agricultural sector deserves our heartfelt gratitude.
I extend a special thanks to Yara Ghana, our steadfast sponsor for 14 consecutive years; GIZ-EUGAP; ADB Bank; Absa Bank; Interplast; Ecobank; Kanu Equipment; Horticulture Business Platform; GML Green Energy; and many others. We are truly grateful for their collaboration and dedication.
I also want to acknowledge our public sector partners, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the Northern Regional Coordinating Council, for their continued support each year.
Your partnership is invaluable and plays a vital role in our collective mission to enhance Ghana’s agricultural landscape. Thank you all for being integral to our success.
The Impact of The Pre-Harvest
For over 13 years, the Pre-Harvest event has been a transformative force in the agricultural landscape, bringing together more than 100,000 value chain actors and stakeholders.
This includes diverse groups such as farmer cooperatives, buyers, development partners, policymakers, and agribusinesses, as well as those in the ICT sector and aggregators. The event also attracts input dealers, equipment and machinery suppliers, transporters, financial institutions, telecommunication companies, outgrowers, civil society organizations, and processors, all essential to the success of the agrifood sector.
In the previous year’s event, over 6,000 stakeholders participated across the three-day sessions, demonstrating strong engagement. A survey conducted afterward revealed an overwhelmingly positive response, with many expressing keen interest in attending future editions. This enthusiasm is largely due to the relevance and value of the discussions, sessions, and networking opportunities offered.
Moreover, the Pre-Harvest event has played a crucial role in connecting farmers to markets. Over its 13-year history, it has successfully linked more than 197,000 farmers with critical market opportunities, contributing significantly to their livelihoods and the broader agricultural economy.
As the event continues to grow in scope and impact, its role as a vital platform for networking, learning, and business opportunities remains unmatched in Ghana’s agricultural sector.
Recognition And Awards:
The Annual Pre-Harvest event holds a significant position in the Ministry of Food and Agriculture’s annual schedule of activities, having established itself as a premier and consistent forum that brings together all actors in the agricultural sector. This event provides a platform for stakeholders to deliberate and take actionable steps towards enhancing productivity and sustainability in the sector.
The event’s vital role as a growth facilitator is evidenced by the unwavering support it has received from the government, development partners, and private sector sponsors. In recognition of its impactful contributions, the Pre-Harvest event was awarded the Agribusiness Event of the Year in 2018, highlighting its importance in driving agricultural progress and innovation.
The Preharvest Innovative Training And Demonstration Site
Agrihouse Foundation is currently developing a 10-acre Innovative Training and Demonstration Farmland in Kudula in Tamale, Northern region of Ghana, into a modern and standard agri-village. The agri-village shall provide shelter and conducive environment for the preservation of quality plants and crops in large quantities, as well as increase the productivity of animals and farmers. The village shall be designed to ensure safety and the good working condition of machineries and equipment.
The Project, when completed, will be the first of its kind in the country, with different types of farms, including seed and livestock farms, laboratories, training and conference halls.
It will also have a research unit, exhibition storage facility for agric companies, exhibition grounds, recreational and educational facilities, production room, demonstration fields, processing rooms, mechanized centres, library, nursery units and facilities to host agricultural events. The complex will also serve as an academy for training Ghana’s sustainable farmers, and for growing the agri-tourism industry.
We are however calling on the government, corporate organizations, and development agencies to rally round us with financial and technical support to enable us establish this our agri-village complex as envisaged – a modern multi-faceted complex for the training and grooming of sustainable farmers.
The 14th Edition of The Preharvest Event
The event’s tradition of impact continues this year with an estimated project participation of about 7,000, and an increase in exhibitors, from last year’s 150 to 250 projected for 2024.
This 2024 14th Annual Pre-Harvest Agribusiness Conference and Exhibitions event will take place from Tuesday, October 29, 2024, to Wednesday, October 30, 2024, at the Alhaji Aliu Mahama Sports Stadium in Tamale. Under the theme: “Connecting the Unconnected: Feeding the Future through Innovative and Technological Approaches.”
This year’s event aims to strengthen market linkages, promote technological innovations, and enhance productivity within the agricultural sector.
A key focus of this year’s Pre-Harvest event is improving market linkages. We will work closely with our partners to identify gaps and collaboratively establish a strategic path forward to connect and fortify business relationships among stakeholders in the agribusiness ecosystem.
A top priority is the development of a technical pathway, featuring practical sessions and demonstrations that will educate and connect our farmers with companies offering products and services designed to enhance productivity, expedite farm business processes, and ensure food and nutrition security.
With over 250 exhibitors expected to participate, this year’s event will gather the entire agribusiness ecosystem, bringing together farmers, farmer groups, input dealers, financial institutions, tractor and machinery companies, government agencies, processors, development partners, and more.
The collaboration of these diverse stakeholders will create a vibrant atmosphere for knowledge exchange and innovation, setting the stage for a more sustainable and prosperous agricultural future.
Just as last year, a number of activities have been lined-up, to make year’s event more valuable, interactive, engaging and impactful, to participants and attendees.
Activities for the two (2) days event will include:
For the next three years, the Annual Pre-Harvest Agribusiness Conference and Exhibitions will be focused on “Connecting the Unconnected.”
This vision embodies our commitment to bridging gaps across various sectors of the agricultural value chain, ensuring inclusivity, collaboration, and innovation that benefits every stakeholder, from smallholder farmers to large agribusinesses.
We have identified that there are gaps that affect the achievement of partnerships that foster knowledge-sharing, digital literacy, and access to technology, hence our choice and emphasis on Connectivity this year in order to ensure that every farmer, entrepreneur, and agribusiness has a stake in feeding the future.
This year’s focus, “Connecting the Unconnected: Feeding the Future through Innovative and Technological Approaches,” also emphasizes the critical role that innovation and technology play in transforming agriculture.
We appreciate that, as we work towards food security, it is crucial to integrate cutting-edge technologies and modern approaches that empower farmers, improve productivity, and create sustainable solutions for the future. Consequently, we will also drive conversations around how to equip rural communities with the tools and resources needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving agrifood landscape.
With the above in mind, we have strategically designed programs that will innovatively address all the issues that we have identified and provide proper solutions towards effective resolutions.
One major way we are doing this is through the farmer-to-farmer Apprenticeship session, where experienced professionals working in various sectors of the agricultural space take the lead in offering hands-on practical education to farmers with the aim of bridging the gap between theory and practice by allowing farmers to learn directly from experts who have encompassing understanding of the challenges and opportunities within the sector.
Commodity Breakout Session
The commodity breakout sessions are targeted at various groups, including rice sellers, sorghum sellers, cowpea farmers, maize farmers, and vegetable farmers. By offering tailored support and guidance for each commodity, we aim to provide farmers with the knowledge and tools they need to achieve higher productivity and profitability.
Farmers during this session will be grouped into different rooms where experts engage in meaningful dialogue with them. The focus of these discussions is on the specific commodities that the farmers are cultivating, identifying the challenges they face, and exploring the gaps in their current practices. Experts will provide practical advice on how to enhance yields and increase productivity, all in line with the overarching goal of harnessing the fruits of “Connecting the Unconnected.”
Farmer-Buyer Matchmaking
The Farmer-to-Buyer Session is a crucial feature of the Annual Pre-Harvest Agribusiness Conference and Exhibitions, aimed at empowering farmers by building their capacity in negotiation and business skills. This session is designed to bridge the gap between farmers and buyers, fostering stronger market linkages that will enhance the economic opportunities for all stakeholders involved.
Before these sessions, farmers will undergo intensive training to develop key negotiation skills that enable them to engage confidently with buyers. This capacity building ensures that farmers are not only aware of the value of their produce but are also equipped to negotiate fair deals that reflect the quality and quantity of their products. By understanding market dynamics, pricing strategies, and the importance of contract agreements, farmers gain a deeper insight into the business side of agriculture.
Once trained, farmers have the opportunity to meet with pre-registered buyers – these could be agro-processing companies, wholesalers, retailers, or exporters. The Farmer-to-Buyer Session facilitates one-on-one meetings where farmers can present their produce, discuss terms, and negotiate prices. The structured nature of these meetings allows for the formal signing of deals, laying the foundation for long-term partnerships that can offer consistent market access for the farmers.
By this, we aim to create a pathway for greater market access, reducing post-harvest losses, and helping farmers transition from subsistence farming to a more commercially-driven model. This interaction is also key to creating more resilient supply chains that can meet the growing demand for food in Ghana and beyond.
Exhibitions
Spanning the entirety of the two-day event, an engaging exhibition showcase will unfold, creating a space for buying and selling at affordable prices.
This dynamic platform serves as a hub for exploring the latest innovations, products, and services that are driving advancements in the agricultural sector, ranging from crop varieties, seeds, farm equipment and machinery, agrochemicals and fertilizers, livestock, amongst others.
Outcomes and Expectations
The two days event is expected to provide participants with a common platform where diverse services linked to the agric sector will converge to provide mutually beneficial ends
Participants will be taken through practical and engaging sessions to enable them gain deeper insights into best practices and how to take advantage of the numerous opportunities in the agriculture sector.
The two-day event will feature sessions designed to give participants in-depth insight into the state of the agriculture industry today and exposure to the inherent opportunities, such as commodity break-out sessions, intensive and focused training programs, farmer -buyer matchmaking dialogue, training, panel education sessions, field demonstrations, keynotes, and exhibitions, whilst displaying, promoting business, and creating networking opportunities
2025: Creating An African Pathway
As we engage with stakeholders from across the agricultural value chain, we are laying the groundwork for: Creating an African Pathway for 2025.
By this, we seek to harness the collective expertise and resources of farmers, agribusinesses, policymakers, and development partners to address the pressing challenges facing the agricultural sector. By fostering collaboration and innovation, we aim to create sustainable solutions that empower African farmers and enhance food security across the continent.
Through targeted discussions, workshops, and practical demonstrations at this year’s event, we will identify key strategies and actions that will guide us toward a resilient agricultural future. Our focus will be on promoting technological advancements, improving market access, and enhancing productivity, ensuring that African agriculture can meet the demands of a growing population.
As we embark on this journey, we invite all participants to contribute their insights and experiences, helping to shape a shared vision for 2025. Together, we can establish a robust pathway that, not only elevates agricultural practices in Ghana, but also serves as a model for other African nations.
By working hand in hand, we can create an inclusive and prosperous agricultural landscape that uplifts communities and drives economic growth throughout the continent.
Join The 14th Edition of The Pre-Harvest Agribusiness Exhibitions And Conference Event
We invite all stakeholders and value chain actors to get ready to embark on an Agribusiness Adventure like never before. Join us from October 29-30, 2024 at the Alhaji Aliu Mahama Sport Stadium and Agrihouse foundation Agri-village, Kudula in Tamale, Northern Region, for the highly anticipated 14th edition of the pre-harvest agribusiness exhibitions and conference event.
Discover the ultimate platform that connects farmers, market players and agribusinesses, unlocking endless opportunities for growth, innovation and success.
The 14TH edition of the Pre-harvest event is designed as an ideal scenario to foster collaborations and integration within the industry.
Over the course of the three days, participants will have the opportunity to exchange experiences, explore appropriate technologies, enhance productivity, and create a network of opportunities.
Don’t miss out on this transformative event that’s been making waves in the agricultural industry over a decade now!
click on the link https://forms.gle/gpmbDBy3AUnSMjWF6 to register to be a part of the 14th annual Pre-Harvest Exhibition and Conference