HortiFresh, a program supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands launched four reports for the horticulture sector in Ghana to aid production and processing processes. Researchers for the various reports handed first copies of the report to representatives from the horticulture value chain; processors, exporters, retailers, and producers of fruits and vegetables.
Speaking at the event, the Municipal Director of Agriculture at Nkoranza south of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Mr. Hammond Selassie Attigah stressed the importance of fruit and vegetable in this era of Covid-19. He mentioned that the safety of these products depends on the entire process within the value chain and producers must ensure close monitoring of production activities. He affirms the Ministry’s commitment to sensitize and educate farmers to produce fruits and vegetables to meet international standards.
He commended HortiFresh for the great intervention to revamp the horticulture sector and called for more collaboration between the public and private sectors.
Dean of University of Development Studies (UDS) Graduate School and a research consultant for one of the reports “Catalogue on Indigenous Vegetables” report Professor Francis Kweku Amaglo said micronutrient deficiencies are high and have immense challenges in the human body but fruits and vegetables are the powerhouses of alleviating these challenges.
Professor Amaglo urged Ghanaians to patronize local fruits and vegetables as they have high nutritional benefits. He also encouraged farmers to delve into expanding the production of indigenous vegetables for Ghanaians.
The Program Manager of HortiFresh, Mrs. Sheila Assibey-Yeboah said, the launch is part of HortiFresh’s agenda 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”
According to her, the program embarked on several scoping studies, and business cases have been conducted to ensure salient happenings and new knowledge in the sector is shared. “This is why we are here today to give back these findings to the sector and we are optimistic it will improve production activities”.
Again, “there are lots of learnings being packaged and will be delivered to the sector. For instance, we worked in the agribusiness financing space and we have realized that as much as we are trying if the sector does not receive a special interest rate, it is going to be difficult for horticulture companies to thrive” the program Manager said.
She lauded the Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands for their intervention to promote the program and support Ghana from moving from aid to trade.
For more information on the report visit https://www.hortifresh.org/wp-content/uploads/CatalogueIndigenousVeg_2021_online-003.pdf
