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Small-scale farmers to get USD 96million boost from Brazil

By Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa
Business & Finance Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa, FAGRO Exhibition Director and H. E. Irene Vida Gala, Brazil's Ambassador to Ghana
JUL 20, 2012 LISTEN
Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa, FAGRO Exhibition Director and H. E. Irene Vida Gala, Brazil's Ambassador to Ghana

Ghana will soon secure a USD 96million concessionary loan facility from Brazil to boost small scale farming in the country.

The loan is meant for the government to buy and distribute agricultural equipment to small-scale farmers—thereby helping to improve and modernize agriculture in the country.

The amount will also help build the competence of small-scale farmers to reduce the importation of food and address food security concerns.

Madam Irene Vida Gala, Brazilian Ambassador to Ghana, made this known when a press team paid a courtesy call on her to assess her country's preparedness in participating in the 4th National Food and Agric Show (FAGRO 2012).

Ambassador Gala said for the first time, fifteen (15) Brazilian companies will be participating in FAGRO with various agricultural products such as; machinery, feeds for fish, cattle and other animals and especially equipment that can be used by small scale farmers.

“Our main aim is to advertise the Brazilian companies who will be participating and help them to understand that there are many possibilities and opportunities of doing business in Ghana.

We want them to also understand the level of Ghana's agric sector and to build a sound and strong business relationship in Ghana.

We want them to appreciate the fact that the government of Ghana fights corruption and so they will be doing business in a transparent environment.” She pointed out.

She stressed the need for Ghana to invest massively in technology to revolutionarise the agricultural sector saying there will be a big change in Ghana in the next 30 years if focus is placed on technology.

“Many Ghanaians are hardworking and ready to work but where to focus their effort is the challenge but Brazil sees Ghana really going up and up and up.”

For her part, FAGRO Exhibition Director, Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa said, FAGRO as an agricultural networking and marketing platform will help to strengthen the long standing relationship between Ghana and Brazil in the agricultural sector and expressed the hope that it would grow from strength to strength, to promote bilateral and economic cooperation between the two countries in other sectors of the Ghanaian economy.

She emphasized that FAGRO 2012 will draw a diverse local and international audience—which will create opportunities for them to form strategic partnerships that will help them in expanding their agri-businesses. We are again excited about the business too business session that will be on-going at the FAGRO grounds between Brazilian companies and Ghanaian companies and used the platform to encourage individuals and companies who will be interested in the B2B sessions to contact the FAGRO secretariat.

This year's FAGRO is on the theme, “Linking farmers to the appropriate market: a value chain process”, and scheduled for August 23 to 25, 2012 at the Efua Sutherland Children's Park in Accra.

Brazil is South America's most influential country, an economic giant and one of the world's biggest democracies- Brazil has been adopting a modern technology at a speed and scope that is unparalleled even in the most advanced economies.

This has resulted to agricultural policies that are more oriented towards the market with an emphasis on actions such as the “program to modernize the agricultural sector fleet, associated implements and harvesters.”

FAGRO 2012 will therefore provide a platform for Ghana and Brazil to strike mutual beneficial relationship for the benefit of both countries' economies especially in the area of agricultural technology and modernization.

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