Ghana?s stand stole the spotlight at the Ghana Day at the 166th edition of Royal Agric Show held in Coventry, UK.

A large number of visitors trooped to the Ghana stand to admire the wide range of exhibits on display, sample Ghanaian authentic cuisine and made-in-Ghana alcoholic beverages while the Abladei Cultural Troupe thrilled the gathering to captivating traditional Ghanaian music from their rich repertoire.

The theme for this year?s Royal Agric Show was ?Celebrating the very best in Agriculture?

Renowned as Europe?s largest outdoor International Agriculture exhibition, the annual Royal Show provides a unique opportunity for exhibitors to meet with International buyers, showcase their agricultural achievements, share best practises in the Agric sector as well as promote their respective countries.

The Royal Agric Show also provides a platform for government officials of participating countries to hold discussions on trade in agricultural products and other pertinent issues and participate in a number of International Conferences on emerging trends in the Agric industry.

Some Ghanaian companies represented at the Show were Ghana COCOBOD, Top Industries, Agro Tropics Limited, Blue skies Limited, KEH-ES Limited, Abutia Youth Association, Akosua Amankwa Enterprise, Evergreen Farmers and Artefacts Limited.

Items displayed at the Ghana stand included cocoa pods and products, batik and kente products, carvings and sculpture, a wide range of vegetables, yams, beauty products confectionary, tanned fish and alcoholic beverages.

Ghana?s delegation to the Royal Show comprised Hon. Ernest Debrah, Hon Minister for Food and Agriculture, Mr. Kwame Sarpong, Chief Executive of Ghana COCOBOD, H.E. Mr. Isaac Osei, Ghana?s High Commissioner to the UK, Mrs Elizabeth Ampratwum, Director responsible for Export trade, Ministry of Trade and Industry and Nana Kwaku Asare, National Best Farmer for 2004. Other members of the delegation included Daasebre Akuamoah Boateng II, Board Chairman , COCOBOARD, Nana Anim Baree, Okwahu Omanhene in the UK and Mr. Appiah-Donyina, Minister Counsellor for Trade at the Ghana High Commission in London.

The climax of the Ghana Day celebration was the visit of Rt. Hon Margaret Beckett (MP), the British Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to the Ghana stand. The Minister was taken round the stand by Hon . Ernest Debrah and Mr. Isaac Osei.

Speaking after the tour, Hon Beckett praised the Ghanaian exhibitors for the high quality of their products and expressed the hope that Ghana would continue to support the Royal Show.

On his part, Hon Debrah was optimistic that Ghana?s participation in the Royal Show would help promote joint-ventureship between Ghanaian businesses and their British counterparts for the development of the Agric sector in Ghana.