National food and agric fair October 25-28

This year’s National Food and Agriculture Show (FAGRO) will take place at the Efua Sutherland Park in Accra from October 24 to 28, 2013.

The fair, the fifth in the series, is aimed at bringing together all those related to the agricultural sector under one roof to provide global and comprehensive information on current developments in the sector.

In a statement, the FAGRO Exhibition Director, Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa, said “Just as it has been for the last four years, this year’s FAGRO will witness a general exhibition of local and international agricultural companies”.

Those companies, it said, were in manufacturing, poultry and poultry equipment, seeds and seedlings, aqua culture, feeding equipment, packaging and processing technology irrigation systems and financial institutions among others.

FAGRO is an initiative of Infocus Public Relations in partnership with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) and supported by the GIZ, EDAIF, YARA and Kasapreko.

The special highlight of this year’s event will be the field demonstration on irrigation and green house by an Israeli Company, Netafim and Dizenkoff Ghana Ltd.

“With our partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, it is worthy to note that all the directorates under the Ministry of Agriculture will be fully represented at the fair grounds to showcase their works, opportunities and contributions to the nation,” the statement said.

It pointed out that another strategic add-on to this year’s FAGRO is a series of “Roundtable Discussions” on   whether Oil and Gas is replacing the contribution of Ghana’s Agriculture GDP, The role of women in creating the right investment environment and accessing funds for trade and export.

The educational value and impact of this 5th fair, cannot be over emphasised as experts in the likes of Alicia Blasco (Head of Trade and Commerce at the Brazilian Embassy), Lydia Sasu (President, Rural Women Association), Dr Mary Opoku-Asiamah, Director at the Women in Agricultural Development with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture will all take turns to address pertinent issues facing agriculture in the country.

“Visitors to the fair have created lasting relationship with our exhibitors through personal contacts and our B2B meetings and we encourage the general public to visit this year’s fair grounds to network and explore business opportunities with various local and international agriculture partners,” Ms Akosa stated.

FAGRO has over the years brought together over 1,000 exhibitors, government officials, the international community, civil society, market women, students and various local international actors in the agricultural sector.

Daily Graphic/Ghana