Absa Bank Ghana, in partnership with Impact Food Hub, has concluded the Agribusiness Launchpad and Accelerator Programme 2.0, a three-day capacity-building initiative aimed at equipping agribusiness entrepreneurs with practical skills and technical knowledge to strengthen and grow their businesses.
Held at Absa Place, the bank’s head office, the programme brought together agripreneurs, food processors and other stakeholders across the agribusiness value chain for intensive training, expert-led sessions and networking opportunities.
Participants also discussed opportunities for business growth and access to finance.
Speaking at the programme, the Managing Director of Absa Bank Ghana, Mr Edward Nartey Botchway, said there was a need to bridge the gap between Ghana’s agricultural potential and its capacity to produce globally competitive products.
“We do not lack the ideas, we do not lack the produce; what we lack is the ability to convert what we have into what the world wants. Funding works best when it is combined with the right practices. Businesses need the systems, structures and knowledge to grow and compete,” he said.
The Founder of Impact Food Hub and Convenor of the programme, Dr Mavis Owureku-Asare, said the initiative was designed to help agripreneurs address the technical and business challenges that often hinder their growth.
“This programme was designed to equip participants with practical knowledge, technical skills and access to networks that will help them transform their ideas into sustainable businesses and position them for long-term growth,” she indicated.
The participants were taken through product development and innovation, food processing technologies, food safety and quality standards, good manufacturing practices, hazard analysis and critical control points, food packaging, regulatory compliance and certification.
They also received training in financial management and funding options.
The Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, Mr John Dumelo, encouraged participants to focus on value addition and build their capacity to transform agricultural produce into products with greater market value.
“Many farmers are producing, but they do not always know how to market what they produce or how to add value to it. Adding value is, therefore, very important, and I encourage each and every one of you to keep adding value,” he said.
The Member of Parliament for Klottey-Korle, Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, called on financial institutions to develop financing solutions that recognised the unique risks associated with agribusiness.
She said such solutions should provide entrepreneurs with the support and safeguards needed to build resilient businesses.
Absa Bank Ghana also led a session on accessing finance, providing participants with insights into available financing opportunities and what it took to build businesses that were better positioned to attract funding.
The initiative forms part of Absa’s continued support for Ghana’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and agribusiness sectors.
Over the past five years, the bank has supported more than 5,000 businesses and individuals, and disbursed more than GH¢700 million to the agribusiness sector, alongside business development and capacity-building support.
BY TIMES REPORTER
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