The annual Pre-season Agribusiness Networking and Exhibition Forum has been held in Tamale bringing together stakeholders in the agricultural sector to share lessons and foster business relationships ahead of the upcoming planting season.

About 300 participants including farmers, researchers, agro-input dealers, and service providers from the Northern, Upper East, Upper West, Savannah and North East Regions participated in the event organized by the National Seed Trade Association of Ghana (NASTAG) with support from RMG Ghana, Antika Company, SAPIP and Legacy Crop Improvement Centre.

This year’s event, which was the ninth in the series, was on the theme: “Vibrant Agribusiness Value Chain Networking: Key to National Transformation beyond Aid”.

The event featured over 50 companies, which showcased their produce, products and services ranging from production and processing equipment to improved seed varieties, weather information, and finance opportunities.

Dr Sagre Bambangi, Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture in-charge of Annual Crops, who addressed the forum, reiterated government’s commitment to revamping the agricultural sector to support economic growth in the country.

Dr Bambangi said “Although we recognize the contribution of our development partners to the agricultural sector, so far, Government recognizes that the onus of increasing economic growth lies solely on us as key stakeholders to be more proactive in harnessing local resources for total development by paying more attention to agriculture.”

He urged the private sector to continue to make contributions to the agricultural sector by improving the development, availability and access to improved inputs such as quality seeds and fertilizers, equipment, and suitable services and products among the value chain to improve productivity.

Mr Thomas Havor, President of NASTAG, commended government for paying more attention to the agro-input industry through its implementation of responsive agricultural programmes and projects such as Planting for Food and Jobs, Ghana Agricultural Sector Improvement Programme, Savannah Zone Agricultural Productivity Improvement Programme amongst others.

Mr Havor assured that NASTAG, an umbrella private sector-led seed value chain actors’ organization, was committed to improving the production, availability, accessibility and affordability of high quality seeds and planting materials for efficient farming, in a timely manner for increased productivity.