Accra, Dec. 11, GNA
– Fifteen young women entrepreneurs in agribusinesses from nine African
countries have been awarded certificates after undergoing a three-week
mentoring and support training programme to boost their businesses.
The women, selected
from Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Sudan, South Africa, Uganda,
Zimbabwe, are into large scale vegetable farming, poultry and livestock
farming.
Others are into fish
farming, rice farming, processed foods and herbal products which can be used
for medicinal, skincare as well as aromatic purposes.
They were selected
by Ignite to participate in the 2019 Women in Agribusinesses support training
programme.
Ignite is an
agribusiness programme designed to inspire jobs and wealth creation in young
African women through business skills development.
It has been
organising support training programmes that produce value addition to goods and
services since 2016.
Mr George Oduro, the
Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, in a speech read on his behalf, said
women in agribusiness in Africa face barriers such as access to credit and
markets, high value supermarkets, institutional buyers as well as regional and
international markets.
“The key and
sustainable way to address the numerous challenges faced by women in
agribusinesses is to build their capacity around business models, value chains,
accessing innovative financing, access to markets and policies that unlock
women businesses,” he added.
Ms Alexander
Prempeh, a pig farmer and a participant, in an interview with the Ghana News
Agency. said the training was an eye-opener, as she has learnt how to add value
to pig farming.
Ms Ruth Wambari, a
vegetable farmer, also said the programme has broaden her understanding of
agricultural market in Africa and how to capture her niche to enable her to
become competitive.
GNA
