FAGE launches Ghana Horticulture Expo 2024
The Federation of Associations of Ghanaian Exporters (FAGE) has launched the 2024 edition of the Ghana Horticulture Expo to create awareness and promote agriculture.
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The three-day expo, which will take place from July 9 to 11, this year, is expected to bring together all sector players in the agri-business and value chains to promote the sector as a sustainable drive for the development of the economy.
The expo, which was launched in Accra in collaboration with Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), Fidelity Bank, and GIRSAL, is on the theme, "Celebrating Ghana's Horticulture Diversity, Produce Quality, Export More".
The expo will include an exhibition of agricultural products from various farmers and institutions along the value chain, establish business-to-business connections, build the capacity of persons in the agricultural sector, as well as create interest in the agriculture sector among the youth especially.
Present at the launch were established business tycoon, Sir Sam Jonah, who was the guest speaker; the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Institutes of Directors, Dr Alfred Braimah, who chaired the occasion; the CEO of GEPA, Dr Afua Asabea Asare; the Chief of Party at the Feed The Future Ghana, an American Agency, Nik van Wees, and the President of FAGE, Davies Korboe.
Others were the Vice-Chancellor of University of Media, Arts and Culture (UniMAC), Professor Eric Opoku Mensah; the Head of Programme of Sustainable Employment Through Agribusiness Programme at GIZ, Sarah Rüffler; the Managing Director of Fidelity Bank, Julian Opuni; the CEO of GIRSAL, Kwesi Korboe; the CEO of Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), Seth Twum-Akwaboah.
Call
In his address, the Guest Speaker of the occasion, Sir Sam, called on the government and policymakers to prioritise the development of the horticulture sector by investing in infrastructure, research and capacity building to help reduce post-harvest losses, ensure food safety, and the competitiveness of our exports.
"Ghana's horticulture sector is vast and its impact on our economy can be transformative. By working together, government, policymakers, and horticulturists - we can build a robust, sustainable, and prosperous horticulture industry that benefits all Ghanaians," he said.
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He added that the government must streamline regulatory processes and create favourable conditions for trade, both within Africa and globally. He encouraged horticulturists to continue adopting best practices and exploring innovative solutions that would drive the sector forward.
Investment
The President of FAGE, Mr Korboe, urged the government to be very intentional in investing in the agricultural sector to ensure food security and exports to generate more foreign exchange earnings, stabilise the exchange rate, safeguard the environment and generate employment for the youth.
He noted that the contribution from agriculture could have been significantly higher than the valued US$495.8 million made, according to the 2023 data of GEPA, with the requisite enabling conditions. Meanwhile, the data also recorded the amount from non-traditional exports to be US$3.9 billion.
Commitment
The CEO of GEPA, Dr Asare, stated that "without a conscious effort to maintain and improve quality, we have no chance in the European market where we face keen competition from Latin America and Asia.”