Farmers have asked the Government to develop a common pricing regime for cereals, especially maize, rice and soybean.
They said the pricing regime should be accompanied by quality and quantity standards to ensure that both farmer and aggregators are not shortchanged.
What, they said would offer the Government another stream of income, seal the revenue leakage in that sector and generate enough funds to grow the value chain.
Mr Musa Abdulai, a Nucleus Farmer from Karaga in the Northern Region, made the proposal in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on the sidelines of the launch of the 12th Pre-harvest Agribusiness Conference and Exhibition in Accra.
The three-day event slated from Tuesday, October 25 to Thursday, October 27 2022, will serve as a platform to link stakeholders in the agricultural value chain, exhibit and expand opportunities for farmers and investors.
The GIZ, Yara sponsored event will also ensure that, smallholder farmers gained access to markets,.
Mr Abdulai said many farmers were willing to farm soybean but the two key deterrents were bad pricing and lack of the requisite machinery, including planters and threshers to process.
“Soybean is becoming a cash crop in the north. Many have grasped the production process and are willing to intensify and expand their farms but the machinery to produce and process is the challenge,” he stressed.
Alhaji Alhassan H. Isaahaku, the Northern Regional Coordinating Director, said Northern Ghana as the bread basket of the country attached great importance to the event and urged all and sundry to support it.
He said farmers in the Region needed the right technologies to boost production, especially with climate change issues.
“Key issues that need prompt attention are how to deal with tools for production, harvesting and reducing post-harvest losses. We need the requisite technology and capacity to produce. Some crops like rice is very frigile and just a day delay in harvesting will mean a total loss for the farmer,” he said.
Ms Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa Sarpong, the Founder and Executive Director of Agrihouse Foundation, said the event would be held at two venues, the first part would be at the Aliu Mahama Sports Stadium in Tamale, while the second at the Agrihouse Foundation Park.
She said the session would include the Buyer-Farmer Dialogue, which would make room for farmer groups to promote and negotiate for pricing with buyers, and sign contracts for produce supply.
Ms Sarpong noted that at last year’s event, 53 contracts, valued at USD 189,000, were signed.
More than 3000 farmers and over 100 companies are expected at the 2022 programme.
Aside linking farmers and investors, there will be hands-on training to equip smallholder farmers on best practices.
