National food, agric show launched
A Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Ahmed Yakubu Alhassan, has launched the seventh edition of the National Food and Agriculture Show (FAGRO) 2016 and affirmed the government’s resolve to initiate policies to ensure growth in the agricultural sector.
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“We are committed to initiating policies which will propel agriculture in Ghana to a point where it will not only be the highest revenue generator but also the most rewarding employer,” he said.
FAGRO
FAGRO is an annual programme that creates a platform for the demonstration, exhibition and marketing of agricultural products, while creating a convergence arena for mutually beneficial networking among industry players.
This year’s fair, scheduled for September 28 to 30 at the Ghana International Trade Fair site, is expected to attract more than 2,000 participants and exhibitors from all parts of the country.
It will be on the theme: “Preparation, knowledge and training = Business.”
The event will also create opportunities for field trips and business-to-business meeting sessions.
Dr Alhassan explained that his ministry endorsed the FAGRO platform because of the benefits that would accrue to participants and also create opportunities for the youth in agribusiness through novelty practices.
Agriculture, key to poverty reduction
He said agriculture held the key to reducing rural poverty and accelerating development in the country, adding, “Studies and empirical evidence attest to the fact that increasing agricultural productivity by one per cent leads to 0.72 per cent reduction in rural poverty.”
The General Manager of the FAGRO Secretariat, Ms Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa, said the theme was carefully selected to reflect the “changing face of agriculture from the survival means of the scarcely educated peasant farmer to the swelling bank account of the sophisticated, technology-savvy investor who capitalises on his knowledge to surmount teething problems to safeguard his investment”.
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