Food production, processing, and trading in agric have changed over time. In contributing to food security in the extent of access, increased production, and reduce postharvest losses and technological upgrade to generate higher income, Wegvoraus with the support of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture Ghana has launched AgriTech West Africa 2022 at the Accra International Conference Centre in Accra.
This event with co-located events Food & Beverage Ghana and FoodPack Tech West Africa is to create a sustainable connecting platform for all stakeholders where Global Agriculture Technology and Agrochemicals Suppliers will meet West African Agro Business Communities in Ghana. The event is scheduled for 23-25 March 2022 at the Accra International Conference Centre, Accra.
The event will host exhibitors and suppliers from India, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Italy, Turkey, Spain, France, and Egypt seeking partnership opportunities with potential domestic and regional importers and distributors of agri-equipment and inputs, agriculture technology, agrochemicals, and allied products and services suppliers needed for agriculture development.
Ghana is going to witness one of its kind, the largest exhibition covering the entire value chain of agriculture from Agriculture machinery to Agrochemicals to Food processing and packaging and Beverages under one roof that is AgriTech West Africa exhibition.
The project Director of AgriTech West Africa, Wegvoraus Mr. Thomas James at the press launch stated that the event is happening concurrently with Food and Beverage Ghana and FoodPack Tech Ghana which will have Food, Beverages, and Processing Packaging industries and enterprises to meet Ghanaians and West African business partners, manufacturers to discuss new products and innovations to the development of Ghana’s agricultural sector.
“The event is very much in line with the development goals of the Ghana government’s commitment to value-added agriculture to the national economy and targeted food security. The event would be vital in helping the agriculture and food processing industry to know and adopt new practices, products and innovate themselves with the innovations happening in the sphere”, Mr. James said.
He further stated that Ghana and West African companies will have the opportunity to connect with the manufacturers and suppliers exhibiting during the event. There will one on one prefixes meetings scheduled to know the profile exhibitors in advance to understand and prioritize those they wish to meet with for potential collaboration, partnership, joint venture, and investment tie-ups.
Why Ghana? A question was asked during the press conference. Mr. Thomas James answered “Ghana has become the center of business and Agriculture Manufacturing Trading in the West African Sub Region emerging with conducive trade policies and duty structure with the headquarters of African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).
The government policies like Planting for Food & Jobs and Planting for Exports co-located with 1District 1Factory scheme expected to attain agriculture & food processing self-sufficiency and export. Agriculture Technology undoubtedly is the biggest demand and requirement in Ghana and the West African region. There is very low mechanization in agriculture followed by 2% irrigated agriculture area”, he answered.
In the remarks, Mr. Jeremy Opoku Agyemang the Deputy Director and the Head of Agribusiness Unit at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture said the ministry will support this great exhibition and agriculture continue to be key to Ghana’s development.
According to him, agriculture contributed 19.1% in 2020 and employed 38.3% in labor force. In the same year, the sector’s GDP growth rate was 7.4%.
He noted that the Ministry recognizes the importance of the sector to create jobs by implementing the flagship planting for food and jobs programme that comprises five modules namely; the food crop module, tree crop module, livestock module, greenhouse technology development module, and mechanization module. The Planting for Food module is to increase productivity, availability of raw materials, and create jobs.
“I stand on behalf of the Ministry to indicate our support and collaboration to the successful organization of the expo”
The Chief Operations Officer for the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Frederick Adu Amoakomentioned that the chamber represents the private sector. Ghana needs to do value addition to its products to market it in the local and international market.
Ghana does import a lot of food products into the country, however, most of the food products that are produced in Ghana go waste and that is not the right way to safeguard food security in a country. The program would be a great opportunity to reverse the trend and on behalf of the private sector, the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce will like to pledge its full support to the expo and private enterprises in the country.
“The chamber has about eight thousand members (8,000) across the country and all the members have been informed of this exhibition, most have expressed their interest and they will be participating. We are using this platform to inform those who have not heard about the exhibition to come on board”.
Managing Director for Calli Ghana, Benard Okutu stated that Calli Ghana is a subsidiary of United Cosmos Limited known as UPL globally. They are global leaders for food systems, providing total crop solutions and services designed to secure the world’s long-term food supply.
“We are present in one hundred and thirty-eight countries worldwide wide. We have about forty-three manufacturing, twenty-three R&B facilities globally. We are presented in fourteen different countries including Ghana known as Calli Ghana from 2003. We also have a dedicated seed company called avanda which is specialized in hybrid seeds to ensure that we can improve our yields and we have decided to collaborate with it because at UPL, we believe in open agriculture, which means strategic partnership to ensure food sustainability”, he said.
The three-day event will have seminars and conferences to converge, investors, producers to discuss ideas, innovations, and issues relating to the sector along with the farmers’ groups, research institutions, trade associations, and other stakeholders in the industry.
The event is supported by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, industries, agriculture businesses related chambers in Ghana and West Africa including Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Chamber of Agribusiness Ghana, Association of Ghana Industries, Food, and Beverage Association of Ghana, West African Agriculture Chamber, Federation of Farmer Organisation Network of Ghana, Federation of Association of Ghana Exporters Organisation, Business Traders and Manufacturers Organisation and many regional farmers’ cooperatives and groups, and international associations like the UKGCC, CCI Franch Ghana, ITA, ASSOCHAM, SEDA South Africa.
