- 3 years ago
Africa Agribusiness Awards 2023: CAG honours distinguished partners in the agribusiness value chain
#AMShow
#AMNews
#MyJoyOnline
https://www.myjoyonline.com/ghana-news/
Subscribe for more videos just like this: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChd1DEecCRlxaa0-hvPACCw/
Follow us: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joy997fm
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Joy997FM
Instagram: https://bit.ly/3J2l57
Click this for more news: https://www.myjoyonline.com/
#AMShow
#AMNews
#MyJoyOnline
https://www.myjoyonline.com/ghana-news/
Subscribe for more videos just like this: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChd1DEecCRlxaa0-hvPACCw/
Follow us: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joy997fm
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Joy997FM
Instagram: https://bit.ly/3J2l57
Click this for more news: https://www.myjoyonline.com/
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00 Welcome back on the AM show.
00:02 My name is Benjamin Akako.
00:03 And of course, we're going to be talking agriculture
00:05 to kickstart the show.
00:08 That's our big story.
00:09 Of course, right after that,
00:10 we'll get into the graphic stamp big breakfast meeting.
00:14 But for now, the Africa Agribusiness Excellence
00:17 and Leadership Awards 2023 is to be held alongside
00:20 Agro-Food and Plast-Print-Pack Ghana 2023.
00:24 Promises to be another one of the biggest
00:27 agribusiness events on the continent.
00:28 As we welcome international participation.
00:31 Now, the Chamber of Agribusiness Ghana and partners
00:35 are organizing this event to be held
00:37 on the 22nd of November.
00:39 That's actually tomorrow
00:41 at the Accra International Conference Center, Grand Arena.
00:45 It's being organized in collaboration with AHK Ghana,
00:48 a delegation of German industry and commerce in Ghana
00:51 and supported by Fair Trade Messe,
00:54 the organizers of Agro-Food and Plast-Print-Pack Ghana
00:57 2023 exhibition and conference.
00:59 Well, joining me in the studio to shed some light
01:02 on that event, we have, we call him farmer,
01:06 Anthony Morrison.
01:07 He's Chief Executive, Chamber of Agribusiness.
01:10 Good morning.
01:11 - Good morning, Anthony.
01:13 - And good to have you on the show.
01:16 - It's been a while.
01:18 - It has.
01:19 You've got me thinking back to our school days.
01:24 - I wish I had been your senior then to punish you.
01:27 - You miss your regular cookware.
01:29 The one from the pantry, you like it so much.
01:33 - Nipa Reda, like we've suffered.
01:36 - This guy like beans with a lot of wiggles,
01:40 with a lot of oil.
01:41 - Is it that I liked or it was what was available?
01:44 - Loved it.
01:45 I mean, that nourished you.
01:46 You were so short.
01:47 Look at your height.
01:48 - You realize how smallish I was at the time?
01:51 - Yeah, I mean, you should go back
01:52 and pay homage to Bishop Hemant.
01:54 Bishop Hemant, of course,
01:55 we always pay homage to our alma mater
01:58 and look at how we turned out.
01:59 So interesting stuff.
02:01 - And big ups to the guys out there who are doing so well.
02:05 - Anyway, I'll talk about your food eating,
02:08 dining hall exploits later.
02:11 - You know the kenki?
02:13 - The kenki was a special one.
02:14 - Special, yeah, nobody misses kenki.
02:17 - You get some fish.
02:18 - Khaleba, we've seen times before.
02:20 - I'm telling you, the jigbe fish,
02:22 the fried ones from jigbe.
02:23 - Bringing back so many memories.
02:25 Anyway, so let's get into the conversation.
02:27 Even as we talk about agri,
02:28 of course we have to talk about food-related items.
02:33 We have the chamber of agri
02:37 and what you've actually been doing,
02:38 but I'd like to find out from you,
02:40 what has your chamber been up to over the last few years?
02:43 You've organized a few events,
02:44 but what have you been up to?
02:45 - Thank you very much, Benjamin,
02:46 and very good morning to your cherished viewers.
02:49 Well, the Chamber of Agribusiness
02:51 was formed some seven and a half years ago
02:54 through a CADEP African Union Program
02:57 on the stock-taking of continental agribusiness chambers
03:00 in Africa.
03:01 Throughout the process,
03:03 the chamber has actually formalized itself
03:08 with Ghana's agribusiness sector,
03:10 and we have been very key
03:12 in pushing a lot of industry support.
03:16 We're looking at advocacy issues with regulatory
03:20 that affects our members and the general industry.
03:25 We also seek to support our members
03:28 in the trade exploration,
03:31 trade facilitation, trade promotion.
03:34 We also provide a lot of capacity building for them.
03:37 We also try to support some of them
03:40 with some finance interventions,
03:42 and overly, we also work closely with government
03:46 in areas of policy designs,
03:49 joining some national stakeholder committees
03:52 to provide our expert opinion on national policies
03:57 and what have you.
03:58 - I see.
03:59 You say you've been helping to shape policy,
04:01 which I find interesting then,
04:03 because if you look at the current state of agriculture,
04:06 maybe even linking it to the 2024 budget
04:11 and what it says about agriculture,
04:12 what do you see in there?
04:14 - Well, I must say that we have done our bit,
04:16 and we are truly grateful
04:18 that even though it was still created
04:21 by the same government,
04:24 that the duties at the port has finally been taken off,
04:28 but the impact still remains quite something
04:31 that we need to begin to work around how to solve it.
04:35 That not withstanding, some elements within the budget,
04:39 for instance, if you look at the pottery importation
04:44 and what is being worked towards,
04:46 we want to say that it's just too small a drop in the ocean.
04:51 15,000 metric tons is not what we should be looking at,
04:56 looking at the 1.2 billion pottery importation bill.
05:00 And also just oppose that with the rice.
05:03 Coming to the studio, I listen to the trade ministry
05:07 or the trade minister talking about
05:09 abolishing of rice importation.
05:12 And I think that'll be good for the industry
05:15 to bring some incentives,
05:17 to bring some private sector investment
05:20 like what Josporn is doing.
05:22 We need several such people.
05:24 So, you know, sometimes you just need a government
05:26 to move some of these trade tools,
05:30 to support and give some vibrancy to the economy.
05:34 And I think that this will be good for the sector.
05:37 But we also want to say that they should also be brave
05:39 to stop pottery importation.
05:41 So that we can--
05:42 - That's a tricky one.
05:44 - Well, if you are stopping--
05:46 - I remember Akoko Dako and all those back then.
05:49 But the poultry industry is not what it used to be.
05:51 - Yes.
05:52 So if you are stopping rice importation,
05:55 we are going to have a lot of rice brands.
05:58 And rice brands are major components of livestock feeding.
06:03 So if you are going to stop rice,
06:06 and I mean, rice is less than six months production.
06:10 So why don't you also begin to take steps?
06:13 Because the pottery industry is actually
06:14 the biggest employer in the whole of the value chain.
06:17 - I see.
06:19 - Yes.
06:20 So it's actually the sector that vibrates
06:23 and give impact to the whole sector.
06:26 So if the pottery sector is doing, that means--
06:28 - The general agricultural sector?
06:30 - Yeah.
06:30 If pottery sector is doing,
06:32 that means that the grain sector is working well.
06:35 That's your maize, your regular cocoa and kinkida
06:38 you love so much, your Banco Intilapia.
06:40 Then that means that the soya is also,
06:43 the soya sector is doing well, rice sector is doing well.
06:45 - Soya has had its own challenges
06:47 in recent years and all of that.
06:49 So basically, when you look at it
06:51 from an overall point of view, the 2024 budget, for example,
06:56 what it points to in terms of agriculture,
06:58 is 2024 going to be a better year for agric?
07:01 - Not I think of.
07:03 Looking at the 44 million budget allocation
07:08 towards the industry.
07:10 We are importing somewhere close to about $10 billion
07:15 of food importation.
07:16 If we are really serious and we want to work
07:18 towards a 10 year strategy or a seven year strategy,
07:21 we shouldn't be looking at anything less
07:22 than a billion dollar investment into agriculture.
07:25 Look, mind you, we import fats and oil,
07:28 fruit juice, tomatoes, rice, sugar,
07:32 pottery, meat, wheat.
07:36 Just name them, several of them.
07:38 I can name, I can continue naming them.
07:40 So we need to make sure that any kind of investment
07:44 actually is not a drop in the ocean.
07:46 It's not just scratching the surface,
07:48 but actually feeling the impact on the ground.
07:52 We are importing all our 90% of our grains and cereals,
07:57 okay, the seeds, we import them.
08:00 All 90% of vegetable seeds, we import them.
08:03 We do not have as a country, a national seed bank.
08:07 - I thought the CSIR had some things going on
08:10 in that respect in terms of seeds.
08:12 - If you look at the national seed album,
08:15 there's only one seed that is named there.
08:18 - Which is what?
08:20 - Which is the Legon 18.
08:24 So apart from the Legon 18, which is pepper, what else?
08:28 - So in other words, we need some sustenance
08:31 of that locally.
08:32 - Yes, because for instance, as I said,
08:35 national seed bank is critical to every country.
08:39 That is where if Jack, we can't produce our own seed
08:43 and there's no country importing--
08:45 - Means we're going to starve.
08:46 - We are going to starve.
08:47 We need a national seed bank that can keep seed
08:50 for three years, five years, but we do not.
08:54 So there is quite a lot of things
08:56 that we need to do as a country.
08:58 - This actually reminds me of the biblical, you know,
09:00 Joseph in Egypt and the storing of grain ahead of time.
09:04 - That's it.
09:05 - It appears we are not forecasting correctly,
09:08 but let's zero in now on the Agri-Business Excellence
09:12 and Leadership Awards.
09:13 This isn't the first time you're organizing it.
09:15 Which edition is this?
09:17 - So actually, this should have been the fifth edition,
09:21 but because of our new partnership
09:23 with our profound partners, AHK and Fairtrade, GeoVision,
09:30 we had a discussion and we felt that the time was right
09:35 to distinguish the awards that has been done over the years.
09:40 So we re-christened it the African Agri-Business.
09:44 So it used to be the Ghana Agri-Business Excellence
09:46 and Leadership Awards.
09:48 We are hosting the after-secondary,
09:50 so we need to begin to transform our activities
09:54 to make sure that we aligned everything that we do
09:58 in conformity to the continental trade and areas that,
10:02 and most importantly, because it's being held
10:05 within this prestigious program,
10:07 where you are going to have about over 74 global exhibitors
10:12 and other global participants partaking in this event,
10:18 which is starting today.
10:19 So we re-christened it the African Agri-Business,
10:24 which is actually looking at all the various value chains.
10:29 So it's the Royal Agro-Industry Awards.
10:33 So we're looking at the agri-processing,
10:35 we're looking at the women, gender,
10:37 we're looking at social enterprise,
10:39 we're looking at policy, we're looking at TVET.
10:43 TVET, do you know how many skills we import
10:45 into the agriculture sector
10:47 and which countries they come from?
10:48 India, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, South Africa, UK.
10:52 We import skills all over the place.
10:54 So TVET is a major part of these awards.
10:57 And we also--
10:58 - This is the first time you are incorporating TVET into it.
10:59 - No, we have from day one.
11:01 So we started in 2017,
11:03 and we have since been awarding TVET institutions,
11:06 both TVET personalities, TVET development partners
11:11 that are supporting TVET development,
11:13 and also TVET institutions.
11:14 You know, myself, I chair the Ghana Agriculture
11:17 Sector Skills Body Commission for TVET,
11:20 and I have been involved in this
11:21 for over the past seven to eight years.
11:23 So our understanding of the TVET sector is quite clear.
11:27 That is what we need to transform the agriculture sector.
11:30 Skills is very important.
11:32 - Right. - Yes.
11:32 - But overall, how many awards are we looking at?
11:34 - So we are looking at 44 awards,
11:38 with eight being going for lifetime achievement.
11:43 We have distinguished people
11:47 that have done a lot for this country,
11:50 and it's time we recognize them.
11:53 It's time that we appreciate them while they are alive.
11:57 So we will have this in Ghana.
11:59 Next year, it could be held in South Africa,
12:02 Morocco, and Nigeria, because they are coming,
12:04 and they are bidding to host it next year.
12:07 - I see, that's interesting.
12:08 I've seen some of these agri-events also go to Rwanda.
12:13 I don't know whether that's a place you are considering,
12:15 based on what they are doing in agriculture.
12:17 So I see a number of awards,
12:19 agri-business industry, agri-business company of the year,
12:22 promising agri-business company of the year.
12:24 There's also livestock company of the year,
12:26 vegetable value chain.
12:27 So like you mentioned, quite a number of them.
12:30 But what are the KPIs?
12:31 What goes into selecting an individual,
12:33 an entity for any award?
12:35 - So the good thing, unlike any other awards out there
12:38 in the name of agriculture or agri-business,
12:41 we are a chamber.
12:42 So we proceed over the industry.
12:44 We have partners, and we have membership.
12:48 So we are not a company.
12:49 So we are not more of the profit aspect.
12:52 So we have a partnership with BASPAC,
12:55 that's the Business Advisory Service Providers Association
12:58 of Ghana.
12:59 We have the Ghana Agriculture Economists Association,
13:02 and we have all our other partners, NASDAQ, CropLife,
13:06 VPEC, all other associations.
13:11 So nominations come from all of them.
13:15 Then we have a centralized committee
13:17 made up from representations from all these institutions,
13:21 and they will come together to look at their profiling.
13:24 After that profiling is done,
13:25 then it goes to a team of experts.
13:28 So industry finish working.
13:29 So we actually bringing in the way
13:31 of designing TVET curriculums.
13:33 So we designed this like,
13:35 so the TVET curriculums is designed by industry,
13:38 70% of the industry, 10% of academia,
13:42 30% of academia research.
13:44 That's the same process that--
13:45 - So for these 44 awards,
13:47 how many generally did you get in terms of nominations?
13:52 - We had over 270.
13:54 - And out of that, you picked 44.
13:56 - Yes, not only in Ghana, but across the continent.
14:01 So some of us were in South Africa two weeks ago
14:04 to meet the South African team, profile them.
14:07 So we have Nigerians that also profiled Morocco,
14:12 Egypt, Rwanda.
14:14 So this is not--
14:15 - So it's pretty broad.
14:17 - Yeah.
14:18 - It's becoming African.
14:19 - Exactly.
14:20 - The footprint is spreading far beyond Ghana.
14:22 - One major criteria for this award
14:26 is that the country that is hosting
14:28 wins 70% and 30% to the continent.
14:33 Because we want to,
14:35 because it's moving from country to country,
14:38 sometimes you may be missing a very important awardee
14:42 who should be awarded,
14:43 but because it's more continental, they are being missed.
14:47 So we want to take into consideration.
14:49 So you see more of Ghanaian companies
14:52 winning personalities.
14:54 And you should come to see who is going to be
14:56 the most influential agribusiness CEOs--
15:00 - Of the year.
15:01 - Of the year.
15:02 - Okay, so let's talk about the event proper
15:03 as we cap off the conversation.
15:05 Of course, your strategic partners are Abanga Group,
15:09 Ghana Agrofood, Ghana Plast, PrintPak, and GeoVision.
15:13 I'll let you shout them out at the very tail end.
15:16 But the theme,
15:17 after an Africa's agriculture sector,
15:20 synergy to stimulate and accelerate
15:22 sustainable economic growth and food security.
15:24 What went into that?
15:25 Why that?
15:26 - Well, this is the first time we are hosting
15:28 the awards as an African agribusiness
15:34 Excellence in Leadership Awards.
15:36 And we deem it fit that we need to promote the after,
15:41 we need to promote the good works.
15:43 After is a big animal, it's a rolling stone,
15:45 but everybody needs to come on board to give it a push.
15:49 For the agriculture sector, we have--
15:50 - We've not even started tapping into after yet.
15:53 - Not yet. - Where is it?
15:54 - Just like the Agwa.
15:55 So we are beginning a project next year
15:58 with GIZ ECOAS called the EATS,
16:01 which is the ECOAS Agriculture Trade.
16:04 And which is also a major component of this.
16:06 And we deem it fit that based on our next year's projection
16:11 as a country, industry, and as a chamber,
16:15 we want to promote as many trade within the Africa continent
16:18 between Ghanaian businesses
16:20 and that of our continental partners.
16:24 We have already done that with Egypt, with Morocco,
16:27 South Africa is, I mean, South Africa is one of the biggest
16:31 trade partners to Ghana.
16:32 And we also deepening that with Ivory Coast
16:34 and also with Nigeria, of course.
16:37 So we realized that there is a need
16:39 to have a strategic synergy.
16:43 A synergy that possibly does not involve
16:45 too much outflows of money,
16:48 but a way to move goods and services
16:50 in a way that supports industrialization.
16:53 So for instance, if Nestle is in Ghana,
16:56 Nestle is in Nigeria, and I'm a mace producer
17:01 and Nestle needs my mace in Nigeria,
17:04 it should be flown to them.
17:06 But Nestle here could possibly also pay me in kind
17:10 with input, with machinery.
17:12 So we are looking at a broad-based approach
17:14 within the value chain.
17:15 What is possible?
17:16 Because now global funding is drying up.
17:19 Investments are drying up.
17:21 Today I was looking at something that somebody says that,
17:24 "Why is it difficult for investors
17:25 "to put in money into the African market?
17:29 "Is it a knowledge gap or is it our culture
17:32 "that is not fitting into the global system?"
17:36 We need to redesign our own trade rules.
17:39 We need to design our own trade policies
17:44 that actually assimilate within our culture.
17:46 Let's not just adopt and embrace it.
17:49 We're not looking at the French policy of assimilation.
17:52 I know you speak a lot of French,
17:53 but we're looking at the Greek assimilation system
17:57 where the culture, the people are integrated
18:00 and not delinked from the system.
18:05 They have to be properly aligned
18:06 so that we are able to advance the course of trade,
18:09 especially food trade in Africa.
18:12 - So to cap off the conversation,
18:14 it's happening at the Accra International Conference Center
18:16 Wednesday, what's the time, who can participate?
18:19 And then you can shout your sponsors.
18:21 - Oh, 3 p.m. is the time.
18:24 We don't want to do a late show.
18:26 And all the international exhibitors are also part of it.
18:31 So if you want to increase your networking opportunity,
18:34 this is the time.
18:36 We are providing special invitations,
18:39 but if you are out there and you want to be part of it,
18:42 you can give it as a shout,
18:43 or you go to our website and send us an email,
18:46 chamberofagribusinessghana.org,
18:49 and we'll also pay attention to your email.
18:54 But we want to say a big thank you to Fairtrade,
18:57 our strategic partners, and also most importantly AHK,
19:02 who have been partners with the Chamber for the past years.
19:07 Stephanie Simon, the manager, she's been fantastic,
19:10 and we wish to continue to do this with you.
19:14 And we want to also say a big thank you
19:16 to our sponsors, Broad Spectrum,
19:20 Maflix, and AgriSoft Ghana.
19:25 - All right.
19:26 Well, this has been our interaction
19:29 with Anthony Morrison,
19:31 Chief Executive of the Chamber of AgriBusiness.
19:34 Of course, they have that event coming up tomorrow
19:37 at the Grand Arena,
19:39 the Accra International Conference Center,
19:41 the Africa AgriBusiness Awards.
19:44 Anyone and everyone who is in the sector,
19:48 who matters, ought to be there.
19:50 And of course, there will be many awards going about.
19:54 I know I've followed this for a few years now.
19:56 A few years ago, I was at the Marriott event.
19:59 So congratulations on keeping it alive.
20:01 And it's good to see someone from my alma mater
20:05 joining the conversation today.
20:07 Well, do stay with us because up next,
20:09 we'll be connecting to talk all finance and economics,
20:14 if you like, when we contemplate
20:17 the Graphics Stambic breakfast meeting.
20:20 We'll be taking you there live.
20:22 But the 2023 European Union Climate Week event
20:25 is just around the corner.
20:26 So join us on Wednesday,
20:28 that is tomorrow, the 22nd of November,
20:30 from 2 p.m. at the West African Center
20:32 for Crop Improvement, University of Ghana,
20:35 Accra for an insightful discussion
20:37 on building resilience at community level,
20:40 supporting farmers to adapt to climate change.
20:43 The event will be live on your Super Hits Radio.
20:44 Join us at 9.7 FM from 2 p.m.
20:47 The event is also part of the EU Climate Diplomacy Week
20:50 and aims to bring together experts,
20:51 thought leaders, stakeholders,
20:53 to discuss critical issues related to climate change
20:56 and its impact on agriculture.
20:58 There will be a panel discussion,
20:59 or a number of them, in fact,
21:01 delving into practical strategies for supporting farmers,
21:04 addressing the challenges they face due to climate change.
21:07 And the EU Climate Diplomacy Week
21:09 is part of an annual global campaign
21:12 launched by the European Union and its member states
21:14 to foster cooperation on climate change
21:16 and inspire real action.
21:18 So do not miss this incredible event.
21:21 Save the date, spread the word,
21:23 and be part of the movement towards a greener
21:25 and more resilient future.
21:27 Stay tuned for more events in Ghana
21:28 under the EU Climate Week.
21:30 You can find more details
21:31 on the EU in Ghana social media pages,
21:34 Facebook or LinkedIn @EuropeanUnionInGhana,
21:37 on X or Twitter, YouTube, Instagram,
21:41 @EuropeanGhana, @EuropeanGhana, all put together.
21:45 And that's for you to take note of.
21:46 So two Gargantuan agri-related events tomorrow
21:51 coming your way.
21:54 One at the University of Ghana, like I just mentioned,
21:56 and the other one at the
21:57 Accra International Conference Center, Grand Arena.
22:00 Do stay with us.
22:01 We'll be back after the break.
22:03 (upbeat music)
22:06 (upbeat music)
22:09 (upbeat music)
22:11 (upbeat music)
22:14 (upbeat music)
22:16 (upbeat music)
22:19 (explosion)
22:21 you
Comments