3rd livestock, poultry, fisheries trade show launched

Agrihouse Foundation, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) in collaboration with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), the United States Department of Agriculture (UNDA) - Ghana Poultry Project (GPP) and the National Farmers and Fishermen Award Winner’s Association of Ghana (NFFAWAG), has launched the third edition of the Livestock, Poultry and Fisheries Trade Show (LiPF) in Accra.

The two-day training and exhibition trade show, slated for March 21-22, 2021 at the Efua Sutherland Park in Accra, is expected to create a learning environment for stakeholders in the agricultural sector to explore and take advantage of opportunities in the animal husbandry subsector.

It is also aimed at bringing industry experts together to engage participants on poultry management and the best types of fish to grow for the Ghanaian market, management options, feed and distribution options.

Wɔn Yaa

This year’s event is themed “Wɔn Yaa”, a Ga expression for “We are on the move”. The event will hold training sessions on livestock, poultry and fisheries as well as exhibitions for businesses in the sector to market their wares and products.

Speaking at the launch, the Deputy Director of the Animal Production Directorate of MoFA, Ms Mavis Afutu, said the livestock subsector, including poultry, was an important component of agriculture in the country which played various roles in providing food and nutrition security.

She noted that the trade show would augment the government’s efforts at promoting the growth and development of the agriculture sector.

“The Animal Production Directorate entreats all persons as well as stakeholders in the animal agriculture value chain to participate effectively in this programme and join the march in starting or expanding your business in the animal agriculture value chain,” Ms Afutu said.

Ms Afutu commended Agrihouse Foundation for initiating the trade show and described it as a step in the right direction.

Tradeshow

The Executive Director of Agrihouse Foundation, Ms Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa, explained that the third edition of LiPF would afford participants and exhibitors as well as tertiary and financial institutions, agriculture and media organisations, and development partners to be educated on the alternative means to create jobs and make additional income since many people in the country had lost their jobs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

She said the show was also to encourage people who were passionate about animal husbandry to understand the multiple opportunities they could harness in the sector.

For her part, the Chief of Party of the United States Ghana Poultry Project (GPP), Ms Carianne De Boer, underscored the need for development partners and stakeholders in agriculture to ensure that public and donor investor policies reflected the future they envisioned for the agricultural sector.

That, she said, could be achieved by taking a fresh look at youth-in-agriculture programmes, and consider a more robust approach to enable the youth gain access to knowledge, finance, assets, and modern technology.