In line with efforts aimed at strengthening, promoting and creating more accessible market channels for women farmers and agribusinesses and buyers, Agrihouse Foundation is set to hold the 9th edition of its monthly Agriwoman Marketplace event at the Efua Sutherland Park in Accra today.
After having organized 8 successful monthly editions, the 9th Agriwoman Marketplace will have in addition to the Exhibitions, other activities including the Agriwoman in Worship, Ted Talks and Mentorships from partnering organizations. Also, to expand, this edition will be held at a much bigger space to accommodate the large number of expectant women farmers and agripreneurs.
Approximately one hundred and fifteen (115), women farmers and women-led agribusinesses have registered to exhibit and showcase their products and services in the two day event and we are encouraging individuals, corporate institutions and everyone to pass through the Children’s Park to patronize the goods and products of our women farmers and women-led agribusinesses, said a statement issued by the organizers
‘’Agriwoman Marketplace, by Agrihouse Foundation and fully funded by the Foundation, forms part of our development interventions to strengthen and bring to the limelight women in the Agribusinesses sector, thereby contributing to the development of markets for women and also supporting them to recover fully from the effect of the pandemic’’, Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa, Executive Director of Agrihouse Foundation noted.
‘’Our overall objective with the Agriwoman Marketplace is to support women Agribusinesses recover, grow and promote their farm produce, products and services and we are happy to have made meaningful and positive contributions, towards this, in the past eight months. With this initiative, we at Agrihouse Foundation fully fund women farmers and Agribusinsesses who register. We provide them with free exhibitions; canopies, exhibition booths, tables and chairs’’ Alberta added.
She noted that, even with the challenges that comes with putting up a monthly event like Agri-woman marketplace, it has been an exciting journey, considering the impacts and successes the event continues to chalk in the lives of the agri-women.
Agrihouse Foundation’s Agriwoman Marketplace has made great impacts for the past 8 months. Examples of such women who have signed major deals include Portia Opuni Frimpong, who signed a deal with a South African company, to supply black soap and shea butter. Another typical example is a Women Farmer Based Association in the Ashanti Region, Kruy3 Farmer Group, who through the monthly marketplace platform, have been able to access a grants and bulk order supplies for their cassava, gari, rice and palm oil produce.
Janet Adade, a rice farmer from the Volta Region has been able through increase rice sales through the Agriwoman Marketplace, same as Aunty Bea from the Volta Region. Queen Gaf, is now stocking shops in Accra with her innovative local spices including dawada, honey, moringa, sobolo, turmeric and many more.
Portia Asumda from Bolga has also secured bulk supply deals for her shea butter, millet, sorghum, soyabeans, rice and groundnut paste through the Agriwoman Marketplace.
Mazia who is into honey has received tremendous recommendations and Awards, through the Agriwoman Marketplace. These are just few of the successes recorded through this initiative.
In the past 8 months, the Agrihouse Foundation has funded over 276 women to participate in the monthly Agriwoman Marketplace. According to Alberta, the monthly Agri-Woman Marketplace will continue to build resilience and scale-up efforts in the Agricultural sector, with focus on Women farmers, women processors, input dealers and information technology providers.
‘It is our hope that by this platform, we at Agrihouse Foundation, will be able to contribute steadily to creating and expanding market accessibility, whiles opening up opportunities for women and we encourage the general public and institutions to pass by to support the women and shop for Christmas.” She concluded
For the upcoming 9th edition, 115 women-led agribusinesses who have registered for the 2-day Exhibitions and Mentoring event include women who are into vegetable production, yam and tuber farming, grains and cereals. Others are also into processing groundnut paste, shea butter, Moringa, neem, coconut, castor oils, whiles the rest are into food, IT, finance, communications and marketing services.
