Dutch Show Interest In Ghana's Vegetable Sector

 Hans Docter
Dutch Investors have expressed their readiness to invest in Ghana's vegetable sector, The Netherlands Ambassador to Ghana, Hans Docter, has disclosed.

Mr Docter, who was speaking at the start of a two-day workshop for vegetable exporters in Accra lately, said Ghana has the potential of becoming a large exporter of vegetables.

Docter advised vegetable exporters to use the right applications to meet the demands in the EU market.

He also asked them to satisfy the domestic market before looking at the international market.

The workshop formed part of an integrated regional programme started by CBI, an agency of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Netherlands and the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) to support exporters in the fruit and vegetable sector.

The programme is concurrently being run in Ghana, Benin, Mali and Senegal concurrently.

Farmers are expected to appreciate the Global-Good Agricultural Practices Certification and to increase the level of knowledge on markets and commercial methods in the European Market.

Gideon Quarcoo, Chief Executive Officer, GEPA speaking at the event, also called on exporters to pay attention to standards in the industry.

He said stakeholders must work together to ensure that exports that enter into the EU market meet the right certification and standards.

He said as a country there was the need to inculcate the ability to appreciate standards in professional growers and exporters.

GEPA, according to him, last year launched the National Export Strategy to ensure that revenue from non-traditional exports was doubled to $5 billion by the end of 2017.

It is expected that by the end of the programme, exporters would enhance their knowledge and skills in good agricultural practices and marketing, as well as an enhanced access to the EU market.

The programme follows the successful completion of the multi-year capacity building programme under the Business Support Organisation Development Programme for GEPA officers and Ghanaian Small Medium Enterprises exporters.

By Samuel Boadi