The Ghana Grains Council (GGC) has hosted about 700 maize, rice and soybean value chain farmers and actors at a forum, enabling them to interact and establish market linkages to enhance overall efficiency in their industries.

The event, which took place in Tamale on Thursday, formed part of the Fourth Annual Northern Ghana Pre-harvest Agribusiness Forum, which brought together farmers, buyers, processors, transporters, input dealers and financial institutions.

The objective was to enable the actors to learn and share ideas on the season’s production outlook, identify critical actions to build competitive businesses, and establish firm marketing relationships for the forthcoming maize, rice and soybean harvest.

It was supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/Ghana’s Agricultural Development and Value Chain Enhancement (ADVANCE II), implemented by ACDI/VOCA, Agricultural Technology Transfer Project (ATT), AGRA Market Access Programme and the Northern Rural Growth Programme.

This year’s event was on the theme: “Connect and Collaborate to Succeed,” and included a conference, exhibition and market place, where participants dialogued and networked with suppliers and buyers on various topics, including demand, production and price.

Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) in-charge of Crops, Dr Ahmed Yakubu Alhassan, commended the organizers of the forum, saying it held enormous benefits for rural farmers, as they linked with market dealers to find ready markets for their produce.

Dr Alhassan urged farmers and other actors in the agribusiness industry, to deepen their linkages to improve agricultural production in the country.

Dr Godwin Ansah, Managing Director of GGC said the forum had emerged as one of the finest events in the country’s agricultural industry, adding “the cohesion brought about by this event will make a significant impact in driving the attractiveness and resilience of the grains value chain in Ghana.”

Mr Jim Bever, Mision Director of USAID, said the forum played a critical role in transforming the country’s agriculture sector, lifting people out of poverty, and reducing under-nutrition across the north.