Network established to enhance cereal trade in W/A

By Benson AFFUL

A nine-member working group from various countries in the sub-region have come together to lead a process to establish a regional grain network known as the West Africa Grain Network (WAGN) in Accra.

The WAGN will be an organisation for cereal professionals across the value chain, which aims at creating a regional platform that is pertinent and beneficial to its members by advocating and structuring trade for producers, processors, traders and service providers of the sub-region.

Mr. Tom Gambrah, Managing Director of Premium Foods Limited, said the network will enable free-trade in the region and create market access that will bring benefits to smallholder farmers.

In addition, he said, this will make it possible for cereal farmers to transport their produce from one country to another without any difficulties -- hence reducong the risk of food insecurity in the sub-region.

Mr. Gambrah, who is also the Chairman of the Ghana Grain Council, said there is need for every country in the region to establish a grain council that will coordinate with each other to make trade easier between them.

He advised government to allow the private sector to participate in food transportation -- saying government should create the enabling environment for them. This, he said, will increase the general economic benefits to the country.

According to him, there is need to establish a partnership between the actors in the regional cereal trade, government and financial partners for sustainable development of the cereal value-chain.

Marjatta Eilitta, Chief of Party at USAID’s Agribusiness and Trade Promotion (ATP) office, said the need to establish the network was confirmed at a consultative workshop organised by USAID ATP in Ouagadougou in October this year.

 She said the meeting highlighted the importance of cereals in regional trade and food security, and also discussed the many challenges in production, trading, transporting and marketing of cereals in the region.

She said the cereals sub-sector in West Africa plays a very important role in the creation of wealth and contributes to food security and economic growth -- which is why establishing a network would enhance trade and production of cereals in the sub-region.

The participants represent cereal value chains in nine West African countries: including Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Togo among others.

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