More than 85,000 farmers and individuals applied improved technologies and practices on over 72,600 hectares of land during the 2016 crop season.

The application of these improved technologies combined with training and marketing assistance led to farmer beneficiaries selling produce valued at over $120 million.

This came to light at the Seventh Annual Pre-Harvest Agribusiness Show organised in Tamale in the Northern Region by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the U.S. Government’s Feed the Future Initiative, in collaboration with the Government and Agri-House Foundation.

The event served as a platform to rally agribusiness stakeholders and the private sector to forge partnerships, learn the latest technological advances in agriculture and make strategic investments to spur economic growth.

It is recognised as the largest annual gathering of farmers, buyers, manufacturers, government officials, development partners and financial institutions and brought together over 1,000 agribusiness stakeholders across the country.

It draws private sector investment and encourages the sustainable growth of agribusiness in Ghana.

The event was organised ahead of the 2017 maize, rice and soybean harvest.

In attendance at the show were Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture Dr. Sagre Bambangi; Northern Regional Minister Alhaji Salifu Saeed and many other agriculture enthusiasts.

Participants shared lessons learned and identified opportunities and challenges within the sector. The event featured business to business sessions, exhibition and showcased improved agricultural equipment, inputs and services.

The USAID/Ghana Agriculture Team Leader, Ms Jenna Tajchman, emphasised the importance of expanding economic opportunities for smallholder farmers and unlocking the potential of Ghanaian agribusinesses.

Ms Tajchman said: “In Ghana, our Feed the Future programme aims to expand economic opportunities and boost agricultural productivity”.

She said it was time the country sustained the momentum and continued making investments that would ensure progress, especially as the nation advanced the Beyond Aid Agenda.

The Pre-Harvest Agribusiness event has been held annually since 2010, and organised through Feed the Future, the U.S. government’s global hunger and food security initiative.

The event has, over the years, linked rural farmers to new market opportunities and gained the support of the private sector.

USAID is the lead U.S. government agency that works to end extreme global poverty and enable resilient, democratic societies to realise their potential.

It has supported Ghana to increase food security, improved basic health care, enhanced access to quality basic education, and strengthened local governance.