Ghana, despite having the potential to be a leader in the world through Agribusiness remains a minor contributor to the global food basket due to lack of strategic planning and cumbersome certification requirements that are sometimes impossible for most local farmers to meet to be able to export their produce.
The result are post-harvest losses, undervaluation of produce and poverty. The difficulty in accessing markets that gives farmers the right value for their effort has contributed in no small way to the disinterest of many young people in farming.
As farmers strive to meet` these requirements to be able to do business in Europe and the Americas, a more strategic partner in Dubai, a country that only looks out for basic requirement is being overlooked.
To bridge this gap, Crenov8 established the Agro-Trade Promotion Event in Dubai, one of the largest Agribusiness Conferences to link farmers in Ghana, Nigeria and other parts of Africa to the multibillion-dollar industry in the Mideast country.
Dubai is estimated to imports Hundred Billion Million Dollars’ worth of food annually. Of this figure, Ghana only contributes a total of 25 million dollars. In short, we contribute only 0.025% to this fertile haven while we toil for the right to sell to other parts of the world is not too far from vain.
It is this poor benefit Africa derives from this strategic market that that informed the formation of the conference
Focusing on Agriculture and Technology, Crenov8 Consulting, a leading Management
Consulting and Digital Firm headquartered in Dubai and with offices in Nigeria and Ghana is set to host the third edition of the agribusiness gathering – Meet the Farmers’ Conference (MTFC) on the 27th and 28th of November in Dubai. The 2019 edition of the conference is set to introduce Agro-trade and networking conference to connect Africa and the Middle East. 
The event will create the avenue for large scale Agro commodity producers to meet buyers and investors..
Delivering the keynote address at the launch, Bola Oyedele, a Consultant for Crenov8 indicated that it is the vision, hopes and aspiration of the organisation that there comes a time when Africa feeds the world.
She indicated that the conference is an effective way of developing the agribusiness sphere in Ghana and Africa because it provides opportunities for farmers to do business in an organised and flexible market that come with requirements largely within the domain of the African farmer.
According to Miss Oyedele, “Dubai provides an easy entry into the entire Gulf Corporation Council and so Stakeholders from Africa will get the opportunity of meeting partners from that region during the 2-day event to network, collaborate, and form quality partnerships”
“Ghana has all it takes to advance the Agro sector if they leverage on this huge opportunity available in the GCC.”
She added that “if the effort Ghanaian farmers and other players in agribusiness channel into meeting stringent requirements in some parts of Europe and America is channelled into leveraging on the many opportunities provided by the GCC, the country will be a major player in the over 100 billion industry within a short time.
“The goal of the conference is not only to provide farmers the opportunity to export raw food but to create an avenues for the raw foods to be processed, value-added and exported in their secondary state.
To encourage the participation of young people in agribusiness, a pitching competition is currently ongoing with the goal of identifying people with great business ideas relating to Agribusiness. Winners and those selected will have an all-expense paid trip to sell their business ideas to investors coming from all.
She assured farmers in Ghana and the Continent that her outfit will continue to draw and implement programs that seek to maximise their benefits because the African Continent is capable of feeding the world if agriculture is given the needed attention.
With the 3rd \edition of the agro-trade event launched, organisations and individuals interested can make the necessary preparations to participate later this year.
Isaac Kyei Andoh
