A two-day ELIGREEN Women and Youth Agribusiness Exhibition Summit (EWAYES 25) has been held in Accra on the theme: “Breaking Barriers; Securing Market Access for Women and Youth in the Agribusiness Sector.”
It attracted participants from research and academic institutions, food producers and processors in the value chain, including Naha Organics, Gablin Foods, Peggy’s Granola, Hibi Tea, Gem Cashew, Yes Coco Citruci, and Food Advancement Ghana.
Addressing the event, the Director of Presidential Initiatives in Agriculture and Agribusiness at the Office of the President, Dr. Peter Boamah Otukunor, said the government was committed to building an agricultural system focused on improving access to finance, markets, knowledge, and opportunities.
He said women and the youth, who form the country’s agricultural backbone, remained at the margin of opportunities even though they tilled the soil, processed the food, and traded the produce that fed the nation.
“Many are full of ideas but lack the capital to grow; others produce diligently but struggle to find markets, while others face cultural and institutional barriers that limit their access to training. As such, pragmatic policies and systems are needed to break these barriers to empower and promote socio-economic development,” he added.
Dr. Otukunor indicated that under the leadership of President John Dramani Mahama, the agricultural sector had begun new flagship initiatives, especially the Dobidi Outgrower Programme, targeting about 10,000 acres of rice, 50,000 acres of maize, and input support to smallholder farmers.
He stated that the Dobidi Agro-Input Credit and Farmer Financing Platform was also designed to connect farmers to agro-input credit, affordable financing, technical support, aggregators, off-takers, and financial assistance — all aimed at removing structural barriers that kept smallholder farmers from accessing essential financing inputs.
Additionally, Dr. Otukunor explained that the School Farm Initiative, to be launched by the President tomorrow at a Senior High School in the Volta Region, was expected to transform schools into centres of agricultural learning and production, targeting over 15,000 acres across 1,000 schools.
He noted that the Poultry and Livestock Training Programme would equip about 20,000 young people with modern animal production skills to create jobs, while the Youth Agricultural Estate Programme would provide structured programmes through commercial farming, irrigation, and market access for young graduates.
Moreover, Dr. Otukunor urged financial institutions to support these initiatives and encouraged the youth to avail themselves to be part of the history-making process.
The Project Director of ELIGREEN, Prince Ackuaku, on behalf of the Founder, Sophia Karen Edem Ackuaku, said: “We aim to break down the barriers that have long hindered access to markets, finance, and innovation for women and youth in agribusiness.”
BY LAWRENCE VOMAFA-AKPALU
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