Agribusiness Training for SMEs along the Biofortified maize value chain
A capacity training workshop on agribusiness has been held for 60 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the Biofortified maize value chain to help access credit for financing their maize enterprises to boost their businesses skill for economic growth.
The workshop was organized to enhance their knowledge in basic agribusiness management, business planning and enterprises development, costing, pricing and profit calculation, financial records and simple bookkeeping, grain aggregation and contract arrangements, buyer requirements and market negotiations as well as inclusive business models involving farmers, processors and buyers, to enable them meet the required standard for accessing financial support from institutions to grow their businesses.
Organized by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research Institute - Savannah Agricultural Research Institute of the (CSIR-SARI), Nyankpala, with the support from the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) under the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) II Maize Project aimed at strengthening the capacity of agro-dealers, processors, grain aggregators, off-takers, seed producers and other value-chain actors to improve their financial literacy on best business development planning practices.
The Director of SARI Dr. Francis Kusi, in his welcome address said, maize remains one of Ghana’s most important staple and commercial crops, particularly in northern Ghana, where it contributes significantly to household food security, employment and income.
However, increased production alone cannot guarantee improved livelihoods for farmers. Farmers must be connected to reliable markets, and processors on the other hand, must have access to quality grain, with the appropriate skills to operate profitably and sustainably, he said.
“Biofortified maize varieties are rich in iron and zinc and therefore provides opportunity to address nutritional deficiencies while creating new business opportunities for farmers, processors and traders”, he said.
Through appropriate processing, packaging, branding and consumer education, biofortified maize can be transformed into nutritious and marketable products for households, schools, food vendors and other consumers, he noted.
According to him, a strong agricultural value chain cannot be built by researchers or farmers alone but requires effective collaboration among researchers, input dealers, seed producers, farmers, extension officers, financial institutions, processors, aggregators and buyers.
We must move beyond working independently and build lasting business relationships that connect production to processing and profitable markets, he added.
Project Assistant, Seed System at AATF, Flavian Anyango said, educating farmers and local stakeholders on post-harvest management practices are critical for maintaining seed quality, viability, and market value.
We support the TAAT II Maize Compact coordinated by AATF to reach millions of beneficiaries through scaled-up seed production, distribution, and agribusiness development, she said.
Project Coordinator of TAAT II Maize Compact at CSIR-SARI, Dr. Isaac Kodzo Amegbor noted that the development of technology on agriculture would help boost food security and alleviate poverty in the country.
According to him, more than 20, 000 farmers capacity have been built on improved seed varieties and best agronomic practices.
We are imparting knowledge for SMEs through this training to enhance their financial literacy, since access to finances for agribusiness has been a very big problem, Dr. Desmond Sunday Adogoba, an Innovation Scaling Specialist working with CSIR-SARI said.
In terms of getting the literacy base for accessing financial support, most of them have not been exposed to it, thereby affecting the growth of their businesses, hence the training, he said.
Most SMEs don't have their business plans because they don't get the opportunity to even attend trainings where they will be able to develop business plans hence our commitment and support to the beneficiaries, he said.
We believe that this training will help them develop business plans, as other beneficiaries in the Upper East and Upper West, who have benefitted in similar trainings in the past have started developing their business plans, he added.