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Company News of Friday, March 15, 2019
Source: agrictoday.com.gh
2019-03-15
Keynote speaker giving speech to stakeholders at the conference
The second meeting of the HortiFresh business platform on the theme; Exploring opportunities in Ghana's horticulture sector – The role of the Dutch private sector, held on 14 March 2019 in Accra.
The meeting brought together the main horticulture stakeholders in the fruit and vegetable sector to focus on new challenges and propose solutions to make the sector more competitive.
The director of the value chain and logistics of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Mr. Papa Bartels, urged companies in the horticulture sector to make the most of the many opportunities offered by the area.
In his address to participants from the Netherlands and local stakeholders in the meeting, the director explained that his team had developed a 10-point plan to help boost the sector.
He said the "trade mission illustrates Ghana's development agenda, beyond the aid", which can only be achieved by creating a favorable business environment, promoting trade between countries and trade relations.
Mission members from a wide range of horticultural technologies and knowledge providers took turns speaking to participants. Mr. Haidar Malhas, Irrigation Officer at Interplast, lamented that Ghana, despite all the opportunities it offers, still imports vegetables, including tomatoes in large quantities, Neighboring Burkina Faso. It is a shameful act that Ghana has to produce its own products like tomatoes.
Another speaker also condemned the excessive use of obsolete technologies by many Ghanaian farmers and stressed the need for a paradigm shift in this direction.
In a speech read by Mr. Idris Egala, Director of Tikolo Ltd. also recalled the need for Ghana to do more in the agricultural sector rather than depend on imports from neighboring countries.
The trade mission delegate conceded that Ghana still had a low profile of acceptance in the EU for its Agric products. However, he was optimistic that Ghana could better improve its profile in order to maximize potential if better things were put in place, after which a cooperation agreement for an export-producer project was signed between AB Farms and the Foundation. Rabobank.
The meeting ended on a promising note in which participants were divided into sections and made suggestions to help stakeholders and the ministry respond to key issues and challenges.
In their final suggestions, many participants asked stakeholders to help farmers obtain low-interest loans; provide an education to farmers to help them understand what the needs of consumers are so that they can produce to meet their needs; and provide more training and motivation for agricultural extension workers to help educate farmers on best practices.
These, they thought, will not only help increase yields and productivity in horticulture, but also in the agricultural sector in general.
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