AGRA SUPPORTS NORHTERN FARMERS TO ACCESS MARKETS (MIRROR, PAGE 35, JUNE 12, 2010)

From Nurudeen Salifu, Tamale.

THE Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) has launched a three-year project to assist smallholder farmers of staple crops in the Savannah Zone to gain easier access to sustainable markets for their produce.
Christened the Farmers To Markets (FTM), the project is being implemented by the International Centre for Soil Fertility (IFDC) and the Savannah Farmers’ Marketing Company Limited.
Between 40,000 and 60,000 farmers from the three northern regions are expected to benefit from the project in the form of increased incomes through guaranteed access to markets, credits, inputs and fair prices.
Other players in the industry, notably processing and marketing companies are also expected to gain from the project as they will have a guaranteed supply of quality raw materials with no price risks and less difficulty.
Launching the project in Tamale, the Country Director of the IFDC, Dr Kofi Debrah, explained that the project would build the capacity of the beneficiary farmers to use best practices in the production of rice, soybeans, maize and sorghum in line with market demands.
“We will proceed to strengthen small medium enterprises and local entrepreneurs to support the flow of the produce from the farm gates to the markets,” he stated.
Dr Debrah also noted that a data-base of various participants in the value-chain was being designed, adding that the linkage activities among the various players would be anchored through mobile telephony.
“We are going to use mobile phones because research has shown that mobile penetration in the country is nearing 80 per cent and most of our prospective participants use mobile phones,” he explained, adding that the technology was less costly.
Dr Debrah further mentioned that companies like Guinness Ghana Ltd, Golden Web, Naturally Fair of Netherlands, Vester Oil Mills, Ghana Nuts and institutions like the Ghana School Feeding Programme and Buffer Stock Company had been brought on board to act as final buyers of the produce.
The Director of Market Access Programme for AGRA, Ms Anne Mbaabu said the north had been designated as the bread basket region of Ghana and this formed the justification for implementing the project in the area.
She noted that a lot of efforts had been made to increase productivity, but less attention had been paid to increasing farmers’ access to markets, adding that market access was the driving force behind productivity increase in a sustainable manner.
“By linking farmers with buyers before production, farmers will be assured of regular farm incomes and traders, processors and large retailers will also benefit because they will be able to obtain reliable and regular supplies of quality produce,” Ms Mbaabu further mentioned.
Other speakers at the launch included the National Programme Co-ordinator of the Northern Regional Growth Programme (NRGP), Mr Roy Ayariga, former Northern Regional Director of Agriculture, Mr Sylvestre Adugbilla Adongo and Chief Operating Officer of MiDA, Mr Matthew Amoah.