Canadian High Commissioner and MEDA visits Dinmbone Farm Gates
19 March 2024, Tamale, Ghana – Last week, the Canadian High Commissioner to Ghana, Her Excellency Martine Moreau, visited MEDA-supported Dinmbone Farm Gates Limited, one of the few women-owned seed producing agribusinesses in northern Ghana, to learn how its operations have contributed to developing a more sustainable seed supply chain and the creation of decent jobs in the region.
Dinmbone Farm Gates is one of the market actors supported by MEDA’s Greater Rural Opportunities for Women (GROW2) project through funding from Global Affairs Canada. The agribusiness aims to develop a sustainable seed supply system for last-mile women smallholder farmers. As a technology service provider under the GROW2 project, the business has achieved a notable increase in its sale of certified soybean seeds during the 2023 production season. This has benefited 250 women smallholder farmers across four districts by improving their crop yields and increasing their incomes.
Dinmbone Farm Gates has also mentored women entrepreneurs. Through these efforts, the agribusiness was selected to receive a matching fund from the GROW2 project, enabling it to acquire equipment for expanded production and enhanced seed quality. Dr. Sanatu Mustapha Alidu, Dinmbone Farm Gates’ owner, has an ambitious vision for the future. She plans to mentor 200 entrepreneurs, establish linkages for entrepreneurs with 50 GROW2 Savings and Loans Groups (SLGs), and collaborate with an additional 40 community-level entrepreneurs under a women-led, last-mile distribution model.
The Canadian High Commissioner also visited Zoggu, a community supported by GROW2 project activities. She interacted with members of four SLGs, as well as women entrepreneurs who have accessed certified seeds, motorized tricycles, and groundnut shellers through the project to enhance their businesses. By engaging with community members, the High Commissioner witnessed firsthand the impact of the acquired technologies and the effectiveness of MEDA’s “Gender Model Family” — an integrated gender-transformative approach that fosters positive changes in the dynamics of unpaid care work between men and women.
The High Commissioner also met Baamunu Ibrahim, a dynamic community-level entrepreneur who owns a mini groundnut shelling center. As part of her business, Ibrahim aggregates soybeans, groundnuts, maize, millet, and rice from women at the community level to supply to buyers in the nearby centre of Savelugu during market days. Ibrahim has been involved in this business for the past three months, mobilizing an average of 1.4 metric tons of commodities weekly for the market.
By supporting seed producers like Dinmbone Farm Gates and community-level entrepreneurs like Ibrahim, Global Affairs Canada and MEDA — through the Greater Rural Opportunities for Women (GROW2) project — continue to make significant strides in improving the socioeconomic empowerment of women smallholder farmers, entrepreneurs, and agribusiness in northern Ghana.
Have a look at some pictures of our engagements
