GAC, MAG Support Women Farmer Based Organizations To Make Products Attractive For Local, Export Markets

Women Farmer Based Organizations (WFBO) are receiving support from the Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and Modern Agriculture in Ghana programme to straighten the capacities of WFBOs to make their products competitive and attractive for local and export markets.

About 32 WFBOs selected from the 16 regions with four from the Bono East Region across the country are benefiting.

This was contained in a press statement signed by Mrs Cecilia Kagya-Agyemang Bono East Regional Director for Department of Agriculture on Thursday in the Bono East Region.

The support is in line with Canada's Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP), which seeks to empower women to eradicate poverty and build a more peaceful, inclusive and prosperous world.

This indeed, the statemented added, would again foster women's competitiveness in providing quality value-added products to local and foreign customers through the monitoring and supervision of the Women in Agriculture Development (WIAD) of the decentralized departments of MoFA.

It indicated that the initiative would contribute to the achievement of the 2030 agenda for Sustainable development Goals (SDGs) and the Ghana governments Investment for Food and Jobs (IFJ) objectives among other things.

The statement stresses that activities such as purchasing and installation of agro-processing equipment,along with capacity building on the operation and maintenance of the machinery as well as coaching by TBI on marketing Technics to ensure appropriate market linkages would be supported.

Mrs Kagya-Agyemang speaking in an interview on the sustainable development of the programme, hinted that the programme has earlier launched a 2,500,000 million Ghana Cedis pilot fund to support the WFBOs that are engaged in post-production Agricultural operations in Ghana.

She mentioned that expected results from this intervention include an improved ability of WFBOs to efficiently add value to their products and reduce their post-harvest loses, to improve the incomes of WFBOs members as well as the economic status of their households, adding that it would as well provide increased opportunity for women to participate in decision-making at the household and community levels.

Mrs Kagya-Agyemang disclosed that MoFA has signed an agreement with the GRATIS foundation working under the Ministry of Trade and Industries (MoTI ) to fabricate the equipment required by the beneficiary WFBOs and install them for use by women groups.

She urged the WFBOs to take the initiative serious as GAC was committed to building a modern, equitable and sustainable agricultural sector that contributes to food security and women's economic empowerment in Ghana.