Africa RISING takes part in preseason agribusiness networking forum in Tamale, Ghana

Africa RISING partners at the 9th Annual Pre-season Agribusiness Networking and Exhibition Forum in Tamale, Northern Ghana. Photo credit: Wilhelmina Ofori-Duah/IITA.

Africa RISING partners at the 9th Annual Preseason Agribusiness Networking and Exhibition Forum in Tamale, northern Ghana (photo credit: Wilhelmina Ofori-Duah/IITA).

Partners of the Africa RISING project in northern Ghana recently took part in the Annual Preseason Agribusiness Networking and Exhibition Forum. The event took place on 4 April 2019 in Ghana’s northern region capital of Tamale, bringing together about 300 participants including farmers, researchers, agro-input dealers, and service providers from the Northern, Upper East, Upper West, Savannah and North East regions.

Organized by the National Seed Trade Association of Ghana in close partnership with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, this year’s event, the ninth in the series, had the theme: ‘Vibrant agribusiness value chain networking: Key to national transformation beyond aid’. The annual preseason event aimed to foster collaboration and learning and strengthening of business relationships among stakeholders in the agricultural value chain in northern Ghana ahead of the upcoming cropping season for 2019.

The Africa RISING project was represented at the event by Wilhelmina Ofori Duah from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and Paul Zaato from the World Vegetable Center. The annual event provides projects like Africa RISING with great opportunities to link farmers to key market outlets so that they can better access quality inputs (improved seeds, fertilizers, and mechanization). In addition, the diversity of stakeholders serves as a good platform for scaling Africa RISING technologies.