Ghana used to export 36 different types of vegetables to a variety of destinations in Europe and the Americas, but this has dropped to just 8 at this point in time. However, leading players at a Federation of Association of Ghanaian Exporters (FAGE) Vegetable Roundtable, in Accra, have come to the conclusion that practical steps that can be taken to reignite the nation’s vegetable export sector.
Hosted by FAGE, a roundtable was held to discuss issues that Ghanaian vegetable exporters face and enable joint action in overcoming these. The drop in the vegetable trade comes at a time when the country is craving export opportunities, to halt de depreciation of the Ghanaian cedi, to curb inflation and to create high-paying jobs.
Participants included Vegetable Producers and Exporters Association of Ghana (VEPEAG), Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Directorate (PPRSD) and Commercial farmers.
FAGE and FreezeLink – which provides cold storage, transport and engineering services to food and pharmaceutical companies – agreed to work together on these challenges, noting that cold chain logistics services extend product shelf-life, reduce post-harvest losses and increase the value of horticulture exports.
Source: myjoyonline.com