A new Agriculture Resource Centre designed to provide resources and technical support to mango farmers has been inaugurated in Sunyani, the Bono Regional capital.
The facility is expected to serve as a hub for knowledge sharing, capacity building and innovation within the agricultural sector, with a particular focus on advancing the mango industry.
Established by the Blue Skies Foundation, a non-profit organisation, the hub is also expected to resource and empower farmers to boost and enhance the quality of their productivity.
At the inauguration last Wednesday, the Head of Foundation and Corporate Affairs at the Blue Skies, Alistair Djimatey, said the inauguration of the facility marked the foundation's commitment to supporting the growth of the country's agriculture sector and empowering local communities.
Sustainable supply
The foundation said the centre was established for the Greenfield Mango Farmers Association (GFMFA) in the region to increase productivity and ensure a sustainable supply of raw mangoes to Blue Skies for processing into juice.
The Agriculture Resource Centre
The centre is named after the late Chief Agronomist, Ernest Adjei Abloh, for playing a vital role in advancing the company's mission of producing high-quality fruits using environmentally friendly practices.
The centre, which has offices, an input shop, and a conference hall, aims to serve as a valuable resource for farmers, providing access to tools and information and facilitating training to help them thrive in the agricultural sector.
Mr Djimatey expressed the hope that the hub would promote sustainable best agricultural practices and equip farmers with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed.
He said the centre would support farmers to venture into commercial production.
"As we inaugurate this centre today, let's affirm our commitment to supporting and promoting agriculture, empowering the sector and supporting the business of Blue Skies," he added.
Mr Djimatey said the facility would help encourage the youth to venture into mango production, adding that Blue Skies had rolled out some agriculture programmes and initiatives to entice and change the negative mindset of young people about agriculture.
Mr Djimatey said together, they could create the most sustainable and prosperous future for agriculture in the country.
He thanked Blue Skies Products, the Waitrose Foundation in the United Kingdom (UK) and the Albert Heijn Foundation in the Netherlands for supporting the initiative.
Finest mangoes
The Board Chairman of the Foundation, Dr Anthony Pile, said that company records indicated that Ghana produces the "finest mangoes" in West Africa.
"Let me make it clear to you that the mangos we get in Ghana are the finest in West Africa.
We are very much in love with your products," he said.
Dr Pile explained that the company processed 1,000 metric tonnes (MT) of raw mangos in a week.
The board chair, who said he was sacked from his job in the UK 30 years ago and went on to establish a fruit processing company in Ghana, now employs 5,500 people.
Mr Pile pledged the company's commitment to mango farmers in the region to increase productivity.
Production
The Chairman of the association, George Kafui Agbozo, said that the company currently purchases 70 per cent of the group's production, helping them avoid post-harvest losses.
"Blue Skies established the hub for the association because the company purchased mangoes from us," he stated.
Mr Agbozo said the facility would help transform their farming activities, adding that before the hub's inauguration, the association was operating from a limited rented apartment.
Lack of market
The Regional Agriculture Extension Officer, Isaac Adjei Mensah, said the current major problem farmers faced was the lack of a market.
"It has become a norm in Ghana that off-takers are not prepared to pay for quality, but always expect producers to produce quality.
"However, the same cannot be said of Blue Skies," he stated.
Mr Mensah assured the Ministry of Food and Agriculture's support and commitment to advocate and research effective interventions for farmers, primarily in the mango sector.
He said investing in the mango value chain was the best choice and urged farmers to produce high-quality, large quantities of mangoes to sustain the industry.
Writer's email: biiya.ali@graphic.com.gh
