The African Fertilizer and Agribusiness Partnership (AFAP), in partnership with Feed the Future Policy LINK, convened a Ghana Country Roundtable at the Labadi Beach Hotel, Accra, Ghana.
The conference, themed ‘The Future of Fertilizer and Agro-inputs in Ghana Towards the Soil Health Summit,’ aimed to address the challenges impacting local supply chains and their negative consequences on the country’s fertilizer and agro-inputs sectors.
The conference brought together stakeholders from the public and private sectors from across Ghana, including notable participation by Hon Yaw Frimpong, MP, Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture Ghana, Hon. Godfred Seidu Jaswa, Ranking Member for the Select Committee of Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs at the Parliament of Ghana, Michael Sudarkasa, CEO of AFAP, Yunus Abdulai, Country Lead for Feed the Future Policy LINK, and Prof. Richard Mkandawire, Director of Africa Secretariat, Alliance for African Partnership (AAP), among others.
The conference was a precursor to the AFAP West Africa PPD Conference, which will be held from 18 to 19 April 2023 in Accra. The roundtable aimed to develop actionable and outcome-oriented strategies to address the challenges facing Ghana’s fertilizer and agro-input markets. The discussions included identifying innovative approaches to improving the availability and affordability of fertilizer and agro-input to smallholder farmers.
The conference addressed several critical issues, including the impact of climate change on agriculture in Ghana, the need for better soil management practices, and the role of technology in improving fertilizer and agro-input markets. The participants identified practical solutions and recommendations, including increasing investment in research and development of new fertilizer products and technologies, improving access to credit for smallholder farmers, and strengthening public-private partnerships.
Hon. Yaw Frimpong, MP, Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture Ghana, praised the conference for providing a platform to engage stakeholders in addressing the challenges facing the fertilizer and agro-inputs sectors. He noted that the government of Ghana is committed to investing
in the agriculture sector and supporting the development of innovative solutions to improve soil health and increase agricultural productivity.
Michael Sudarkasa, CEO of AFAP, emphasized the need for partnerships and collaboration in addressing the challenges facing the fertilizer and agro-input sectors. He noted that AFAP is committed to working with all stakeholders to develop practical solutions to the challenges facing the agriculture sector in Ghana.
Yunus Abdulai, Country Lead for Feed the Future Policy LINK, expressed his appreciation for the active participation of all stakeholders and noted that the discussions would inform the development of evidence-based policy recommendations to support the fertilizer and agro-input sectors in Ghana.
The conference was a significant success, and the discussions will inform the AFAP West Africa PPD Conference and ongoing efforts to improve the availability and affordability of fertilizer and agro-input to smallholder farmers in Ghana.
