MEDA Ghana held 3-days Integrated Market System Assessment (IMSA) Review Workshop

Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA), and its partners have organized a three days’ workshop to assess Integrated Market System Assessment (IMSA) recommendations made at the start of the Greater Rural Opportunities for Women 2 (GROW2) project.

The three days Integrated Market System Assessment (IMSA) Review Workshop, was under the theme: “Identifying opportunities to accelerate sustainable outcomes and system change”. It brought together government officials, private sector actors, development partners, and women farmers.

The program aims at assessing the progress made and exploring new ways to strengthen the soybean and groundnut markets in Northern Ghana.

Participants were taking through on the implementation of past Integrated Market System Assessment IMSA recommendations and how they have influenced agricultural market systems in the Northern Region.

The objective of the GROW2 project is to empower women farmers and agribusinesses by addressing barriers such as limited access to finance, land, technology, and quality agricultural inputs. These challenges often limit their productivity and economic potential.

Speaking on the sideline of the workshop, Dr Zakaria Issahaku, Business Value Creation Lead – MEDA West and Central Africa, said the purpose of the workshop was to take stock of the progress as against the plans made at the start of the project.

“The workshop helps us to reflect on what has worked so far and what can be improved to ensure lasting benefits for farmers and businesses,” he said.

“The Integrated Market System Assessment basically allows us to look at identifying the root causes of the challenges confronting agriculture in Northern Ghana, and to design strategist to attempt those barriers”, hence the three days IMSA workshop”, he narrated.

Speaking on behalf of the Northern Regional Director of Agric, Madam Ramat Musah, commended MEDA Ghana for initiating such a project that had contributed significantly among women farmers in the Northern Region.

Professor Sanatu Alidu Mustapha, a seed producer of the GROW2 project, commended MEDA Ghana for their commitment towards empowering women in agriculture within the Northern Regions.

She indicated that about 80% of her seed producing business have changed since she joined the GROW2 project.

“When I got into this project, I had exposure to attend conferences outside Tamale, where we meet big entrepreneurs coming from across the world and this has given me a deep understanding of my business,” she said.

MEDA Ghana with funding from Global Affairs Canada (GAC) in 2023 implemented the second phase of the Greater Rural Opportunities for Women (GROW) project.

The GROW-2 project, which began in October 2021 and will continue until September 2026, aims to build upon the successes of the initial GROW project.

The GROW-2 project is designed to support a total of 40,000 Women Small Holder Farmers (WSHFs), 5,000 entrepreneurs, and 50 agribusinesses of which at least 50% are women-led.

The focus of the project is on three key food value chains: soybeans, groundnuts, and vegetables, within the Northern Region, Savannah and the Upper West Region.

Story By: Alhassan Yakubu |www.diamondfmonline.com |Ghana.