Description:
The Ghana Agricultural Development and Value Chain Enhancement (ADVANCE ) Project is a 4-Year USAID sponsored project awarded to ACDI/VOCA and being implemented in partnership with a team of agencies including ACDEP as the lead implementer in the Northern Sector. Starting in late 2009, ACDEP is working on three commodity value chains (maize, rice and soybean) and has opened regional offices in Wa, Bolgatanga and the Head Office in Tamale to ensure effective implementation of the program.
Project Goal:
The goal of ADVANCE is to facilitate a transformation of Ghana’s agricultural sector in selected industries to achieve increased competitiveness in domestic, regional and international markets.
Objectives
- Increased incomes
- The emergence of a commercial agricultural class
- Improved services to the main value chain actors
- Contribute to economic growth and poverty reduction
Achievements:
ADVANCE is designed around three interlinked components. Enhanced value chain competiveness Increased market access and development of local, regional and international markets Increased access to financial services Key ADVANCE Resources In conjunction with private sector investments, ADVANCE is making modest grants to reduce risk, introduce innovations, leverage resources to mitigate constraints and bring efficiencies to targeted value chain actors. Through the grant mechanism, ADVANCE is awarding grants to willing actors in the supply chains to leverage investment that will enable nucleus farmers to acquire rice harvesting equipment, soybean planters, harvester and threshers to benefit over 10,000 farmers. The Volunteer support-program is an integral and important part of the ADVANCE Program. Volunteer specialists from Ghana and abroad are engaged to provide short-term technical assistance. The volunteer program helps to increase participating value chain actors’ incomes and agribusiness profits by improving productivity, product quality, market access, information services and organizational management. As of now, the ADVANCE project in being implemented in 23 districts in the three northern regions and 11 supply chains have been established. 6788 farmers (2474 females and 4314 males), 7 aggregators, 12 input dealers, 8 financial service providers, 11 mechanized service providers including NAAMSECO have been engaged on the program to bring growth to the sector by increased efficiencies and mutually beneficial business relationship. As this program moves through it’s lifecycle, we anticipate many more benefits accruing.