Ministry builds capacity of fruit, vegetable farmers
Following the European Union (EU) ban on vegetables and fruits from Ghana, the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MoTI) has established measures to build the capacities of farmers to enable them to produce to meet international standards.
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According to the Director of the Multilateral Trade Division at the MoTI, Mr Anthony Nyame-Baafi, training programmes for agriculture extension officers and plant protection and regulatory officers are some of the measures taken to help farmers improve their farming practices.
In the first quarter of 2017, the EU banned fruits and vegetables from Ghana into its market because the products failed to meet international standards.
EU support
Speaking with the Daily Graphic, Mr Nyame-Baafi said the government sought technical assistance from the EU to help it build the capacities of local fruit and vegetable farmers to enable them to overcome the challenges of the industry.
He said the EU supported the ministry on a pilot farming project which was used as learning grounds to build the capacities of selected farmers on best farming practices that would ensure that their produce met international standards.
He said he was optimistic that the current measures that have been put in place would bring about improvements in the quality of fruits and vegetables produced locally and in effect have the ban lifted.
He added that equipment, including machinery that would help the Ghana Standard Authority (GSA) and the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) to ensure fruit and vegetable exports met international standards, had been imported to enhance their operations.
"Ghanaian farmers are not adhering to international best practices, so we have had workshops organised to equip them so they improve on their farming methods,” Mr Nyame-Baafi stated.
He was hopeful that if all things worked well, the ban should be lifted by September this year, but added that: “It is still a daunting expectation.”
He noted that the ministry would collaborate with other stakeholders to address the situation in order to avoid similar occurrences in future.
Background
Ghana is among 27 African countries that have had their fruits and vegetables banned from entering the United States and the EU due to the presence of fruit flies and other plant pests in exported products.
Some of the African countries that also received the ban include Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania and Uganda due to concerns about standards of sanitation and control systems.
According to a World Bank report, Uganda lost $36.9 million in potential earnings during the ban.
The ban is expected to be reviewed in September 2017 after a delegation from the EU has visited the country to verify that international standards are being adhered to by the farmers.