Strengthening farm agribusiness linkages has many dimensions
and a wide range of interventions can be applied on different levels. The
following recommendations were made:
Government Level
- enforcement of appropriate policies to improve general business climate;
- encourage private sector participation;
- build capacities in agriculture and agribusiness;
- provision of enabling conditions for investment;
- facilitation of farm-agribusiness linkages.
Agro-processing Level
- training and skills development: improvement of management, organizational,
marketing and general entrepreneur-ship skills; assistance in product diversification;
- reduction of transaction costs in raw material supply-direct buying from
farmers by identification/collaboration, contract negotiation, etc;
- improvement of market access to higher value products through better market
information for processors and farmers and improving quality management skills;
- financial support to agriculture and agribusiness.
Farming Level
- training and skills development: improvement of capacities in entrepreneurship
and farm management;
- encouragement of farmers organizations: to take over extension role
i.e. training, technology acquisition, input supplies, co-ordination of harvesting
and delivery schedules.
Donors/International Organizations
Specific projects focusing on agribusiness development
including:
- formulation and implementation of adequate macroeconomics and sector policies;
- institutional support: focusing on development of entrepreneurship in farming
and processing sector, improving national and international market access;
- farm enterprise/processors' level: training/education in general business
management, quality control, management, technical advise for processing skills,
access to finance, market research and development, product development etc.;
- continuation of institutional facilitation of farm-business linkages by
NGOs like Technoserve, Ghana.