agro AgroTech West Africa 2021

The Exhibition

agro AgroTech West Africa" focuses on agricultural technology and machinery, tractors, seeds, animal production, horticulture and vegetable production, greenhouse technology, service companies, organizations and trade media. The visitor target groups are made up of small and large farmers and animal breeders from the region. The fair takes place parallel to "food + bev tec West Africa" and "food + hospitality West Africa". Read more

The Market

The German export industry, represented among others by the business development agency Germany Trade & Invest and the Chambers of Commerce Abroad, selected Ghana as one of the top export markets in West Africa alongside Nigeria. Almost half of the agricultural and mining products (cocoa, precious woods, gold, ores, crude oil), in roughly equal proportions, go to South Africa and the EU. By contrast, most imports (machinery and manufactured goods) come from the EU, followed by imports from China and the USA. India and South Africa are far behind. More than half of the labour force is employed in agriculture. Thus, the agricultural sector traditionally plays a central role in Ghana's economy and its most important agricultural product, cocoa, is one of the three most important export goods. After years of slower growth, the sector is on the verge of revival, especially in view of the great public and private interest in promoting development through technological innovation. As long as initiatives along the value chain are well coordinated, domestic demand and export-oriented commercial agriculture should continue to progress. In Ghana, agriculture is predominantly small-scale. The majority of farms are less than 2 hectares in size, although there are some large farms and plantations, especially for rubber, oil palms and coconuts, and to a lesser extent for rice, corn and pineapple. The main agricultural system is traditional, with hoe and machete being the most commonly used tools. There is little mechanized agriculture, but in some places, especially in the north, ox breeding is practiced. Agricultural production varies according to the amount and distribution of rainfall. Soil factors such as texture, nutrient content, pH, etc. also play an important role in agricultural production. Most food crops are intercultivated. Monoculture is usually associated with large or commercial farms. The climate of Ghana is tropical. The eastern coastal strip is warm and comparatively dry. The southwestern corner is hot and humid, and the north is hot and dry. Annual average temperatures range from 26.1 degrees Celsius in coastal areas to 28.9 degrees Celsius in the far north. It is usually airy and sunny. Daytime temperatures can rise above 40°C in the north. In the south there are two rainy seasons from March to July and from September to October (bimodal rainfall system). The northern part of the country has only one rainy season, from July to September (monomodal rainfall system). These thus define the agricultural seasons of Ghana (high and low season). Most important agricultural products ? Industrial plants: cocoa, oil palm, coconut, coffee, cotton, cola, rubber, cashew, shea, soybean. ? Starchy staple foods, cereals and pulses: manioc, cocoyam, yam, plantain, corn, rice, millet, sorghum, cow bean and peanut. ? Fruit and vegetables: pineapple, lemon, banana, papaya, mango, tomato, pepper, okro, eggplant, onion, butternut pumpkin, Asian vegetables. There are new approaches, for example, in rice cultivation, as young, urban and modern Africans now prefer this food to traditional staple foods such as manioc and plantains. Foreign economic interests are looking to Ghana, especially with regard to arable land. There is still considerable growth potential in the traditional agricultural areas of cocoa production, the timber industry and fisheries, including from the point of view of sustainability, which should be used more efficiently. Animal and meat production in Ghana followed different trends between 2001 and 2010. The goat population was the highest of all live animals during this period. Chickens took first place in meat production. This means that in Ghana more chickens are slaughtered than goats. The animal and meat industry in Ghana offers relatively many opportunities. Meat demand exceeds supply and farmers can use this to increase production levels. A number of challenges such as poor breeds, costs for veterinary services, pests and diseases, feed costs and scarcity during the dry season, inability of many farmers to own large numbers of animals etc. are setbacks for Ghana's animal and meat industry. Therefore, Ghanaian farmers need professional help from professionals from abroad. (Source: LIPortal, Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) Ghana, Animal Science Department, Faculty of Agriculture, University for Development studies, Tamale, Ghana)