By Dennis Peprah
Akumadan, (Ash), March 19, GNA – TechnoServe Ghana, as part of the Harnessing Agricultural Productivity and Prosperity for Youth (HAPPY) Programme, has engaged young female farmers, aggregators, and processors in the tomato value chain to mark the 2025 International Women’s Day.
TechnoServe is an international non-profit organization that works with enterprising people in developing countries to build competitive farms, businesses, and industries.
Madam Caroline Dery, Senior Gender and Youth Manager at TechnoServe’s HAPPY Programme, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the event aimed to establish direct market linkages between HAPPY tomato processors, farmers, and aggregators.
Madam Dery said that the programme also sought to inspire new female farmers and aggregators through testimonials from existing HAPPY participants, raise awareness of challenges and barriers affecting women’s participation in agriculture and the tomato value chain, and secure commitments from community leaders to promote young women’s inclusion and prevent violence against them.
“TechnoServe Ghana and its partners remain committed to empowering young women in agriculture and ensuring a thriving and inclusive agribusiness sector,” she assured.
The HAPPY Programme is a four-year transformative partnership between the Mastercard Foundation and Agri-Impact Limited. Its implementation is supported by an eight-member consortium, including Newage Agric Solutions, National Service Authority (NSA), Ghana CARES (MiDA), Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA), Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), TechnoServe, Catholic Relief Services (CRS), and Jobberman.
HAPPY seeks to create 326,000 dignified and fulfilling jobs for youth, with 70 percent being women and persons with disabilities. It also aims to increase food production and productivity in rice, soybean, tomato, and poultry value chains by 20 per cent and reduce the importation of strategic foods by 10 percent.
Together with its partners, the Mastercard Foundation and Agri-Impact, the engagement, which was attended by about 100 women, traditional authorities, and assembly members, was held to recognize and celebrate the contributions of women tomato growers and processors toward sustained economic development.
International Women’s Day serves as a global platform to highlight the achievements of women and advocate for lasting support for women empowerment efforts. The celebration was held under the theme “March Forward, Accelerate Action for Women.”
During a panel discussion, Mrs. Augustina Agyemang, a tomato farmer and HAPPY participant, highlighted how the HAPPY Programme had introduced farmers to improved tomato seedlings and helped them access ready markets.
She called on the government to provide pumping machines and irrigation facilities to support tomato cultivation and boost production.
Mrs. Veronica Ablakwa, another tomato farmer, commended TechnoServe for the programme, stating that its implementation had enlightened them on good farming practices. She emphasized that farmers needed financial support and access to agrochemicals to make the sector more attractive to unemployed young women.
Mr. Frank Obiora Mgbemena, the HAPPY Programme Director at TechnoServe, applauded women farmers for their hard work, stressing the importance of celebrating their contributions to economic growth and development.
He noted that women in the region contribute about 80 percent of Ghana’s tomato production and pledged the programme’s commitment to empowering them to increase production and improve their socio-economic well-being.
GNA
DEN/LAA