As part of efforts to bring farmers, agriculture implement dealers and other agriculture sector players, partners and stakeholders together to plan, network and share agriculture related information, policies, programmes and ideas in readiness for each

planting season, the National Seed Trade Association of Ghana (NASTAG) in collaboration with the USAID Feed the Future Ghana Agriculture Technology Transfer (ATT) Project and ADVANCE is organizing an annual national agriculture forum dubbed “The Annual Northern Ghana Pre-Season Planning and Networking Forum”.

The forum offers an opportunity for planning and networking among agriculture stakeholders towards each planting season. This year’s forum which is under the theme “Quality Seed – necessity for food and jobs,” is expected to bring thousands of smallholder farmers, agribusiness players, policy makers and international development partners together to deliberate on how to enhance agriculture sector in Northern Ghana.

The forum serves as a platform for participating organizations, farmers, agribusinesses and individuals to dialogue and network with key sector stakeholders promoting proven agriculture innovations and new technologies. It is also a platform for agriculture stakeholders to make inputs into the government’s agriculture related policies and programs aimed at improving local seed production, agribusinesses, agriculture technologies adoption and good agronomic practices among others.

This year’s forum is the eighth (8th) in the series and expected to bring together over 800 agricultural value chain actors; farmers, tractor operators, seed producers, buyers, processors, transporters and agro companies, agro input dealers, farm equipment vendors and service providers, financial institutions and international development partners and organizations.

The participants will learn and share ideas that will enable them identify critical actions to build competitive agribusinesses, establish firm marketing relationships and plan for the coming planting season.

Sponsorship and Exhibition: The forum offers an opportunity for companies and service providers to showcase their products and market their brands as headline sponsors, Gold, Silver or Bronze sponsors and/or project their activities through exhibition with extensive media coverage. It also including extensive media coverage that improves their corporate image and brand name.

 
ABOUT NASTAG:

The National Seed Trade Association of Ghana (NASTAG) is an amalgamation of all the value chain actors in the seed industry, which culminated from a resolution passed by stakeholders in a meeting sponsored by the USAID – Agriculture Policy Support Project (USAID /APSP) in November 2015. It is a not-for-profit membership based association limited by guarantee and incorporated in February 2016 and officially launched in August 2017.

NASTAG is dedicated to supporting the competitiveness of Ghana’s seed value chain through business and technical capacity building of its members, promotion of effective collaboration among and between actors, advocating on behalf its members and provision of general seed information. It has positioned itself to support the industry players to develop their niche to the fullest potential for individual and collective benefits; ultimately contributing to enhancing agricultural production that will improve farmers livelihoods and overall agricultural in Ghana. NASTAG is linked to regional bodies such as ASIWA, CORAF, WASP and AFSTA.

NASTAGs has a Vision to be the apex organization for promoting activities towards achieving efficient and sustainable food security through the improvement of members’ businesses and use of quality seed for improved livelihoods in Ghana and Africa and a mission to promote the interest of the members by upholding standards in the provision of improved quality seeds for increased crop production through capacity building of members, promotion of public private partnerships and use of improved technologies for the development of members’ businesses and ensuring adequate food security in Ghana.