40 Years of celebrating farmers: AgriFest ends with renewed hope

The National Farmers’ Day is a main event on the national calendar celebrated every first Friday of December, with a shift back in November on an election year, like this year.

Over the last 40 years, this has been the case during which the nation celebrates, honours and acknowledge farmers for their contribution to not only feeding us but contribute in no small way to national gross domestic product (GDP).

This year's celebration, on the theme, "Building Climate-Resilient Agriculture for Sustainable Food Security", emphasises the nation's commitment to adapting agricultural practices in response to climate change challenges.

Improvement

Over the years, there has been improvement in the celebration of the the National Farmers Day and for the second time running, the celebration was preceded by a week-long exhibition to showcase an impressive array of products and innovations, from food crops to advanced farming machinery and inputs.

Dubbed Agrifest, the exhibition has always attracted huge participation of actors in the agricultural space. This year, the exhibition, which was coordinated by Agrihouse Foundation, attracted more than 190 exhibitors from across the country’s agricultural sector participated.

Last year, the regions were put into four categories, where each of the days of the week-long exhibition, a group of regions would mount their agricultural potentials and rich cultural values and investment opportunities in a bit to attract potential investors.

However, this year, even though there was regional exhibition, all the regions exhibited their potentials for the five days on a daily basis.

They exhibited alongside all other companies, development agencies, crop protection,  crop nutrition companies who were there.

There were machinery and equipment companies, fisheries, aquaculture, farm associations, finance, insurance companies all fully representing and food , beverage,  irrigation,  seeds, Fertilisers.  

Last Friday, the Agrifest 2024 Exhibitions concluded at the Afua Sutherland Children’s Park, marking a vibrant celebration of the country’s agricultural sector.

More than 190 exhibitors from across the country’s agricultural value chain gathered to display their potentials and country’s strong potentials in the agricultural sector.  

The atmosphere

The park was transformed into a dynamic display of Ghana’s agricultural potential, with exhibitors setting up colourful booths packed with fresh produce, including neatly arranged grains, tubers and vegetables.

The abundance of locally grown goods attracted large crowds eager to sample and buy both fresh and processed items, underscoring the sector’s diversity and growth.

The machinery section featured state-of-the-art tractors, tillers, irrigation systems and crop protection tools, with representatives demonstrating how these technologies can optimise farm operations.

Nearby, development agencies, finance institutions and insurance companies provided resources and support, highlighting their roles in enhancing farmers’ growth and resilience.

The festival-like atmosphere, enhanced by music, food tastings, and hands-on workshops, created an engaging environment for all attendees.

Young innovators captured attention with accessible, sustainable farming technologies, reflecting fresh approaches to agriculture. Visitors navigated the bustling grounds, moving from booth to booth and learning about the various tools and solutions designed to strengthen Ghana’s food systems.

At the close of the event, exhibitors were awarded certificates in recognition of their successful participation in this year’s National Farmers’ Day Agrifest.

Organisers’ remark

Reflecting on the event’s success, the coordinators of the exhibition were excited that the event had been successful based on the huge turnout and the diversity of exhibitors.

“It’s incredible to see such a wide representation, from agro-processors to crop nutrition companies and even backyard garden innovators,” the Founder and Executive Director of the Agrihouse Foundation, Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa, remarked.

Ms Akosa noted the strong sales reported by many exhibitors and highlighted how the exhibition united the agricultural community. “This event was more than just an exhibition,

it was a celebration of the progress and potential within our agricultural sector,” she said.

 further explained that the crop value chains had a consistently stronger presence than fisheries, a disparity she was looking to address. “The increase in this year is heartening, yet I think we can do more to ensure a fairer balance across these sectors in the future,” Mrs Akosa stated.

Looking ahead, she  expressed her vision to strengthen public-private partnerships and encourage youth-driven initiatives.

“Events like these demonstrate the capacity of youth to drive change in agriculture. It’s inspiring to see how this opportunity has allowed young people to step up and deliver results. With more time and support, we could accomplish even more,” she added.

Tapping youthful ideas

Ms Akosa also commended the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), “for confidently entrusting into our hands, the organisation of the 40th Farmers’ Day Exhibitions – Agrifest 2024.

“We appreciate the task of managing the entire project cycle, for the most recognised and decorated farmers’ event on our national calendar. This is a ground-breaking milestone for our young organisation and team at Agrihouse Foundation,” she stated.

She pledged the commitment and determination that when the youth were given the needed opportunities, “we are capable of proactively taking charge, execute and deliver a sterling performance.”

Ms Akosa expressed confidence that beyond all the rough patches and challenges, industry players would appreciate the significant impact the youthful and woman-led organisation, Agrihouse Foundation, was making in the entire organisation of the 40th Farmers’ Day Exhibitions from the ground up.

“I equally remain confident that this milestone will further boost, inspire and drive more of our youth into agribusiness and most importantly, embrace the diverse career opportunities and roles within the value chain that we can all play, in advancing our food systems,” she said.

She added that her organisation remained hopeful that tapping into the rich and vibrant resource, the youth could upscale their performance in the agricultural subsector.