Calls for Proposals to R&D Fund and Business Opportunity Fund: Seed Industry Re-opened

Due to a limited number of applications for two of the three calls we can now inform you that the following calls are re-opened till midday on the 9th of June 2014:
Business Opportunity Fund: Seed Industry
This Call targets proposals from the Vegetable Seed Industry, supporting seed companies to increase the availability of quality seeds in the sector and provide follow-up support to farmers to make the most of the seeds.
R&D innovation Fund: Input Supply
This call focuses on testing and developing new technologies in the vegetable input supply sector, in terms of: irrigation systems, soil fertility managements, the introduction new crop varieties and support for better crop protection products.
GhanaVeg can support innovative projects with a grant of up to €50.000. Projects require at least 50% co-financing from the private sector and can be implemented over a period of one to three years. An independent selection committee will assess the proposals and a first group of ten grants can be awarded in these first Calls for Proposals.
Please note that all applications that were handed in on time (before the 6 May deadline) for each of the three Calls will be processed following regular procedures and will not encounter any delay as a consequence of the re-opening of the Calls.
More information on GhanaVeg and the Calls for Proposals can be found Here!

Updates

GhanaVeg Program Officially Launched

GhanaVeg, the Ghana Vegetable Sector Commercialization Program, was launched on 8th April, 2014 at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel in Accra, by the Netherlands Ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Mr. Hans Docter. In addition, Mr. Samuel Asante-Mensah and Ms. Catherine Krobo-Edusei provided key insights to the program and its objectives.
During the event three Calls for Proposals were launched for the Business Opportunity and R&D Innovation Funds. The funds can provide co-financing for innovative business ideas and new technologies that increase productivity and quality of vegetables. These first Calls closed on 6th May, 2014.
Plantwise Stakeholders’ Workshop
GhanaVeg participated in the recently organized Plantwise Stakeholders’ Workshop held at the Erata Hotel, Accra, from 23rd to 24th April, 2014.
Plantwise is an initiative of CAB International which at the country, regional and local levels with plant science organizations, agricultural ministries and extension providers to help developing countries develop a sustainable national plant health systems where plant clinics as the interface for the farmer.
Plantwise trains and deploys ‘plant doctors’ who serve as community resource personnel for plant disease diagnosis, management and treatment. They act as contact points for the resolution of disease and pest challenges that confront farmers.
The workshop which reviewed Plantwise activities in six of the ten regions, also explored options for scaling up and sustainability of the initiative. GhanaVeg presented its programs to the participants, highlighting the Business Platform as central to its activities and one that sets the agenda for the GhanaVeg Initiative. Highlights of the first calls for proposal, including the two calls under the business opportunities fund (Seed Industry and Chain Integration) and the one under the R&D fund (Input Supply) were presented to the participants.

Ghana Green Label Scheme

The Ghana Standards Authority in collaboration with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture has developed draft standards for the green label a quality and food safety symbol that shows a product is less damaging to the environment or to the people making it than other similar products.
The Ghana Green Label Standard once finalized and adopted will help consumers choose products that are safer, of higher quality, less harmful to the environment or are made in a way that treats people more fairly.

Upcoming Events

Netherlands – Ghana Trade Mission and Visit of the Dutch Minister for Trade 16-20 June, 2014

The Dutch Minister of Foreign Trade and International Cooperation, Ms. Liliane Ploumen will lead a delegation of Dutch businesses on a Trade Mission from 16th – 20th June, 2014 to Ghana. From the horticultural sector up to 10 Dutch companies are expected to participate. Companies mainly come from the subsectors of vegetable seed, vegetable trade and cold-chain and logistics. During the mission a number of matchmaking events will be organized to link the Dutch companies to their Ghanaian counterparts. The mission will also coincide with the next Business Platform meeting.

2nd Business Platform Meeting

The next Business Platform Meeting will be held on 19th June, 2014. Also attending this event is the Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and International Cooperation. Up to 50 companies across the vegetable value chain are expected to participate. The meeting will present a number of the approved Business Opportunity Fund Proposals, a presentation on the Green Label initiative, and highlights from the quickscan on greenhouse production and export opportunities, as well as two company presentations.