Agro Kings Ltd has graduated 15 young women from the Women in Agriculture Mechanisation Programme, a four-week intensive training organised by Agro Kings in partnership with GIZ and the Sustainable Employment through Agribusiness (AgriBiz) programme.
The training equipped the young women with the skills and knowledge to pilot commercial drones, operate and maintain farm machinery, specifically tractors and heavy-duty equipment.
The Women in Agriculture Mechanisation programme did not only teach the trainees technical skills but also provided soft skills training in health and safety management in agricultural machinery operations, drone piloting, and leadership skills. These soft skills are necessary to build a value-driven and successful career in agriculture.
The success of the programme shows that with the right investments and partnerships, women can be empowered to drive economic growth and development in Ghana. The employability and skills development of these young women will be boosted through a three-month internship program to in agriculture mechanisation companies across the country.
Agro Kings and GIZ Ghana remain committed to supporting women and youth in agriculture through capacity building measures that will bridge the skills gap in the sector.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, the General Manager of Agro Kings, Angela Barnes, stated: “We are particularly excited about this collaboration for two reasons. Mechanisation is as integral as the role of women in agriculture, and partnerships like these, with GIZ-AgriBiz programme, help in improving our immediate agricultural systems while improving the livelihoods of people”.
The Head of the AgriBiz Programme, Dr. Elke Stumpf, in her remarks indicated: “The German Cooperation, through GIZ, is keen on creating sustainable economic development, employment and prosperity for all, but more especially for women and young people. We aim to build on getting more young women in the sector, following the 12 that were gainfully employed after last year’s training”.
About Agro Kings
Established in 2017, Agro Kings Limited is a Ghanaian agricultural company premised on advancing human lives by focusing on farming, value added agriculture and innovating using technology to support global food security. Supporting smallholder farmers, empowering women in agriculture and engaging in climate smart agriculture is at the heart of the company’s operations.
Through partnerships with Mastercard Foundation, ABSA Bank, GIZ Ghana and Advanz Ghana, Agro Kings has trained women and smallholder farmers. Currently working with over 300 smallholder farmers, the company is assiduously working towards increasing their engagement with smallholder farmers by the end of this year.
Additionally, with value added agriculture at the core of Agro Kings’ business, the company has a wide range of quality Ghana – made food products. These include Nana’s Rice, Ghana’s leading premium rice brand, Ceresoya, Chichi’s Sweet Potatoes, Nana’s Chilli and Mama’s Chicken.
About AgriBiz
The Sustainable Employment through AgriBusiness (AgriBiz) is a project, implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and on behalf of the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). AgriBiz supports the Ministry of Trade and Industry to improve the framework conditions for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).
This is achieved through interventions at the private-sector level and through capacity development for agribusiness MSMEs and the long-term institutionalisation of this approach among private and public service providers, as well as strengthening the representation of interests through member-based organisations.
