HortiFresh first Business Platform meeting Hortifresh was held in Accra on 29th November, 2018 at Mensvic Hotel with the theme: Domestic Standards and Export Requirements for the Horticulture Sector of Ghana. The Business Platform meeting brought together key service providers, producers, processors in the fruit and vegetable sector in Ghana and representatives from the private and public sectors.
HortiFresh is a programme supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands which has prioritized commercial agriculture in its strategic plan of moving from aid trade. The programme’s mission is to establish a sustainable and internationally competitive fruit and vegetable sector that contributes to inclusive economic growth, food and nutrition security in Ghana and Ivory Coast. The Programme aims to reach 15000 farmers and increase their productivity by 20% by 2021.
To introduce the meeting, The Programme Manager of HortiFresh, Mrs Sheila Assibey-Yeboah, outlined the core activities of new HortiFresh programme which include supporting innovative business ideas of small and medium enterprises, encouraging more youth to participate in the horticulture sector, and developing strong horticulture clusters in hotspots such as tomato, onion and mango production.
Speaking at the programme, the Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture in charge of Horticulture, Hon. George Oduro, said the ministry is committed to ensure that food safety and phytosanitary standards are improved through the compliance with the existing regulations and guidelines by taking into account the conscious production practices with respect to pest and disease and postharvest management that together improve consumer confidence and can increase revenue for farmers. However, he advised the farmers and the exporters to adhere to the rules and the regulations of HortiFresh to maintain the good relationship and support.
To increase export of fruits and vegetables, the Deputy Director for Plant Protection and Regulatory Service Directorate (PPRSD) at the ministry of Food and Agriculture, Prudence Atipoe, urged the exporters to register with PPRSD to obtain accurate database support and training. He advised the exporters to follow the roadmap developed for pest and disease management and submit data on pest monitoring and pesticide application to PPRSD.
During the event, breakout sessions were organized to explore new business opportunities like diversification of export crops, adding value through processing and alternative marketing arrangements.
breakout sessions.
