A Team from the Alliance for for a Green Revolution in Africa, (AGRA) and Partners which includes KFW under the Partnership for Inclusive Agricultural Transformation in Africa, (PIATA) have toured the operations of beneficiaries under two projects, namely; The Public-Private Partnership for Competitive and Inclusive Rice Value Chain Development: Planting For Food and Jobs, Rice Chapter and the Ghana Cassava Industrialization Partnership Project.
Speaking to the GBC during the tour, AGRA’s Regional Head for West Africa, Foster Kwame Boateng said the ultimate aim of the projects is to make farmers better off through increased productivity and making processing firms available to process their produce while creating jobs and wealth.
One of the main reasons for the existence of AGRA is to help make life better for small holder farmers.
With the support of PIATA Partners, AGRA has embarked on a strategy to among others increase incomes and food security for 30 Million Farm Households through increase in productivity, access to markets and finance.
The process is being supported by a 10 million Pound Co financing arrangement from KFW of Germany.
So far in the Asante and Bono East Regions a number of Agro Processing Centres have been supported.
The focus is on the Rice and Cassava Value Chains and how to develop various players along them.
The implementation is being done with the support of a Consortium with entities like MOFA, CSIR, Agric Impact and the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
Officials of KFW and AGRA, together members of the Consortium undertook the tour to see at first hand how the Processors are faring.
The Benficiaries visited are the Josma Agro Industries and the Amanten Agro Processing Company, both Cassava Processors and SPARKX which is a Seed Rice Production entity among others.
Speaking to the GBC, the AGRA Head for West Africa, Foster Kwame Boateng, said AGRA has been bringing partners together to solve the problems facing Smallholder farmers.
The provision of quality planting materials is a key part of the project.
Consequently, a Seed Rice Developer, Seth Asiedu Obugyei, has received support under the Project.
He was optimistic that soon Ghana would not have to import rice due to continuous improvement in the post harvest handling of rice and the use of improved seeds which is pushing up productivity and quality.
Story filed by John Sam-Arthur
