AGRA PILOTS MARKET ACCESS AND POST-HARVEST SERVICES PROJECT TO EMPOWER SMALL HOLDER FARMERS IN THE BRONG AHAFO REGION

Techiman, 8th November, 2011: The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), has launched a pilot project, called Development of Market Access and Post-Harvest Services for Small Holder Farmers (D-MAPS) at Aworowa in the Techiman District of the Brong-Ahafo Region. Over the years, high post-harvest losses and inefficient marketing have emerged as pertinent challenges in Ghana's smallholder agricultural sector, especially in rural areas. Through this program, over 10,000 smallholder maize farmers will benefit from improved income and household food security, as it seeks to minimize the self-perpetuating poverty cycles farmers are entrapped in as a result of high post-harvest losses and inefficient marketing practices. The aim of the project is to enhance smallholder maize farmers' access to markets by stimulating competitive Farmer Based Organizations (FBOs) that are empowered to access post-harvest services and fair markets

The Project is a multi-stakeholder initiative, and will be implemented by Concern Universal, a UK international non-governmental organization, in partnership with Practical Care International and Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG). Other actors include private sector post harvest service providers such as Sahel Grains as well as the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) and the Ghana Grain Council.

“Through this initiative, we seek to strengthen the organizational capacity of smallholder maize farmer based organizations, to enhance their access markets and post-harvest services, , thereby sustaining a strong production chain for Ghana's largest cereal staple food”, Juliet Lampoh, the Project Manager, who is also the Programme Director for Concern Universal, the project implementers, indicated.

The project, which started in October 2011, will be implemented over 36 months. The successful implementation of this project, would result in better quality of produce as a result of better post harvest practices, thus facilitating access to more reliable and fairer markets for the farmers which hitherto they were unable to access. Furthermore, just by reducing post harvest losses (currently estimated at about 30%) makes more produce available to be sold for more income or to be consumed at household level thus improving household food security.

AGRA has been committed to developing Africa's agricultural capacity, by penetrating to the grassroots level to assist and empower small scale farmers, who happen to be the largest producers of food across the continent. “Ghana has seen an improvement in agricultural sustenance over the years, and this project is aimed at improving on these standards. The Brong Ahafo Region being the bread basket of Ghana, is therefore a strategic point to kick start such an initiative, which we hope to spread across the country”, Anne Mbaabu, AGRA Markets Program Director noted.

AGRA's programs and partnerships in Ghana targets major obstacles faced by smallholder farmers. AGRA works to improve farmers' access to good seed, fertilizer, and sustainable farming practices; to credit; to crop storage; to markets; and to build strong farmer-based organizations.

AGRA works in 13 African countries at the moment. They are Ghana, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Uganda and Zambia.