EASTERN REGIONAL AGRI-BUSINESS INVESTORS CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION (ERAISE)
On the 14th & 15th September, 2022 a conference and exhibition was organized by the Regional Agricultural Department of the ERCC for the Eastern Regional Agri-Business Investors Conference & Exhibition (ERAISE). The conference was structured to a 2 days program which was held at Koforidua Jubilee Park – Centre for National Culture.
The theme for the conference was ” Achieving Agricultural Industrialization through Eastern Commodity Satellite Market: Financial and Technical Support of TIAST”. The purpose of the fair is to;
● Boost agricultural industrialization
● Contribute to local economic development of the Districts/Municipals
● Promote value addition to agricultural produce
● Enhance the supply of good quality Agro-inputs
● Enhance the supply of good quality agricultural produce for processors and consumers
● Link small scale farmers and processors to markets
Some challenges or problems they were facing includes;
● Several interventions and Program (PFJ, PERD and MAG) have led to the improvement in yields and production of some major crops in the Region.
● Consequently, issues of marketing of produce have become the main constraint of farmers were discussed.
The Eastern Region in 2019 proposed the development of commodity satellite market as a direct response to the problem of weak market linkages. After the successful organization of the Maiden Eastern Commodity Satellite Market (ECSM) Fair, the Eastern Regional Minister took a special interest in developing this Agenda it to international standards viz a vis pursuing an Industrialization agenda for the Region. In light of this, he engaged TIAST to partner the Region to further develop its Commodity Satellite Market agenda thereby achieving industrialization.
TIAST (Torchbearer International Agricultural Science & Technology) is a Chinese Firm that:
⮚ Adds value to Agricultural Value Chain
⮚ Promote the worth of Agricultural Industry in all African countries through industrialization.
⮚ Provide technical support, offtake services and financial support for farmers, investors, entrepreneurs and interested parties who want to own their Agricultural Processing Factories.
⮚ Provide after-sales technical support covering installation, maintenance, technical management, spare parts supply and training.
The first day of the exhibition was structured to be an indoor event;
⮚ It will comprise of speakers delivering addresses, and client engagements.
⮚The outdoor event will comprise of the fair where there will be a showcase of client products, bank consultations, free medical screening etc.
The second day of exhibition was structured to be an outdoor activity;
⮚A full day of outdoor activities and exhibition of client products,
⮚ Free medical screening, bank consultations, panel discussion and interview.
Stakeholders that was present at the conference were;
Eastern Regional Minister, Regional Coordinating Director- ERCC, Regional Director of Agriculture ,District Chief Executives ,District Directors of Agriculture ,Regional Director for Ministry of Trade and Industry , Food and Drugs Authority , Council for Scientific and Industrial Research , Ghana Export Promotion Authority , Ghana Standard Authority , Ghana Investment Promotions Authority , Registrar General , Processing companies , Healthcare specialists , Premium clients and investors , Partnering banks and insurance companies , Media publicity (Television, Radio and Newsletter).
Some of the products and items that were exhibited were;
Branded and Packaged Rice ,High Quality and Unadulterated Honey ,Neatly Packaged Fortified Gari , Fortified Maize Products (Tombrown) ,High Quality Cassava Flour and Kokonte, Quality Unadulterated Palm Oil, Quality Unadulterated Coconut Oil, Cold Pressed Palm Kernel Oil , Neatly Packaged Tiger Nut Products , Neatly Packaged Coconut Chips , Well Packaged Nutritious Mushroom ,Well Packaged Processed meat, Neatly Packaged Processed Fish Products , Nicely Packaged Taro , Nicely Packaged Onion, Milk and Yoghurt products , Pineapple and Mango Products (Chips, Juice, Puree) , Agricultural Inputs [Seed, Pesticides, Fertilizers (etc)] ,Small Scale Processing Equipment , Agricultural Implements.
