This report presents results, lessons learnt and recommendations for activities undertaken by ASNAPP under the Commercial Alliance for Smallholder Horticulture Project (CASH-P) which commenced on October 1,2014 and is expected to be completed by December 15, 2015. CASH-P is aimed at enhancing the livelihood opportunities of about 880 smallholder farmers in the adjoining communities near the Kpong Dam and 70 farmers at Atomic Energy Environs (BNARI Land Vegetable Growers And Marketing Cooperative Society) and promoting the production of high quality vegetables for increased income.
MiDA developed a 450 ha irrigation scheme at Torgorme in the North Tongu District (Kpong Left Bank Irrigation Project-KLBIP), adjacent to the Kpong Dam within the Accra Plains as part of the Millennium Challenge Account Program (MCA) Compact signed with the Government of Ghana (GoG). This was facilitated by ACDI/VOCA, the parent company of Agribusiness System International (ASI), the contractor and beneficiary communities. Export Development and Agricultural Investment Fund (EDAIF) provided additional funding to complete the project and trained beneficiaries on the use of the facility to compliment the work of MiDA. To anchor the project, ACDI/VOCA developed the “anchor investor concept” and facilitated the acquisition of 1,070 Hectares of land adjacent to the scheme for Vegpro Group (off-taker) as an anchor investor to provide technical and market access for the smallholder farmers participating in the scheme.
Atomic Energy Commission has an institute, Biotechnology and Nuclear Agriculture Research Institute (BNARI), responsible for providing solutions to challenges in agriculture, health and industry through exploration and exploitation of scientific knowledge in biotechnology and nuclear science. The Institute has over 100 acres of lands, portions of which are used to undertake agricultural research. In order to secure the un-cropped portions from encroachers and to boost urban production of vegetables, BNARI has leased close to 90 acres of land to seventy-five (75) smallholder vegetable producers.
Following a visit to Torgorme by ICCO as part of its support to the vegetable sector in Ghana, ASNAPP, supported by ASI, was tasked to develop a proposal that will be funded for a one year period to facilitate the inclusion of small holders in the scheme to open up economic and market opportunities as well as build up their technical and managerial skills to effectively compete. This was to build on the initial investment in hard infrastructure, irrigation facility, developed in Torgorme coupled with the possibility of stimulating investment in vegetable production leading to increased income for smallholders, increasing food security and improving nutrition at the community level. Agribusiness in Sustainable Natural African Plant Products (ASNAPP) is a value chain facilitation NGO with extensive expertise in the agribusiness sector in Africa and ASI provides tailored services to firms, investors and entities that support the agribusiness sector to create increasingly competitive and dynamic industries.