SNV Ghana has partnered the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) to build synergies for providing technical backstopping and extension support to green Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) for job creation.
The partnership, which is expected to last for a period of six months, coincides with the Opportunities for Youth in Employment (OYE) – a model used to disseminate skills development training in basic and advanced as well as incubation and acceleration programmes.
Per the partnership, SNV will assist in raising awareness of MoFA-provided services, their benefits and facilitate their linkage with OYE; and also promote sustainable production of crops as a key green business opportunity.
A list of OYE service recipients and MSMEs in need of technical backstopping will be made available to the respective District and Municipal Department of Food and Agriculture offices.
Again, SNV is expected to raise awareness among entrepreneurs working with MOFA to apply for the OYE entrepreneurship pathway, incubation or acceleration programmes.
MOFA, on the other hand, will train GrEEn’s OYE service beneficiaries and make available promotional materials, as well as improve access to quality seeds, planting materials and organic inputs for OYE services recipients and MSMEs in GrEEn’s incubation or acceleration programmes.
Agriculture Advisor of SNV, Wisdom Konwuruk, told the B&FT in an interview at a meeting with officers from MoFA in Takoradi that: “The partnership is to create jobs in the agriculture sector and build the capacity of not only the youth but also women and overseas returnees”.
According to him, MoFA is tasked with facilitating linkages of OYE service recipients to well-established farmer-based organisations within the respective locations of OYE service recipients, and then market linkages between MSMEs in GrEEn’s incubation or acceleration programme to agribusinesses.
“We’ll support in the organisation of job fairs, trade shows and dialogue sessions which promote climate-smart agriculture,” he added.
He stressed that beneficiaries will be given the technical skills needed for their field work to enable them create their own green businesses after the training.
The Regional Directorate, he added, will be responsible for submitting a bi-monthly report on implemented activities in the region.
“The Regional Directorate will submit a final summary report after six months, detailing the progress and achievements of the OYE service recipients and SMEs, including lessons learnt and recommendations for the GrEEn project and SNV,” he added.
Patrick Akowuah, Western Regional Director of Agric, commended SNV for the partnership, stating: “This will increase jobs and food security, and reduce poverty”.
