Fishermen raise sustainability concern about shrimp farming

The Ghana National Association of Farmers and Fishermen is raising concerns about the future of the country’s shrimp farming.

A shrimp project commissioned two years ago at Ada in the Greater Accra Region was expected to create over 50,000 jobs in the value chain.

Though it is yet to take off, government is optimistic shrimp farming will boost agriculture.

But the farmers’ association is however skeptical about the sustainability of the project.

Rev. Kwadwo Nkrumah, Ashanti Regional Chairma n, tells Luv Biz proper measures are needed for good returns.

“If it is going onto international market, then we have to think about the quality, standard, packaging and even post-harvest handling then branding”. He insisted.

Ghana is looking at 500 acre shrimp farm to start as a market for large scale production is said to be available with off-taker from Spain who has offered to buy every single shrimp that is produced.

Vietnam, the third leading exporter of shrimp to the United States of America, makes at least 1.5 billion US Dollars a year from exporting shrimp to America.

A survey conducted indicates that Ghana has a better environmental condition for shrimp production.

The Ministry of Aquaculture, according to government is working on final processes to kick start the project.

In 2012, an audit team from the Food and Vegetable Office (PVO) of European Commission (EC) was in Ghana in response of interceptions of exports, due to the presence of pest in the products.

Another delegation was in Ghana in 2015 for the same issue, according to MOFA.

Ghana was then advised following the audit to temporary ban export of vegetables, adding that inadequate collaboration from the public and private sectors has resulted in that.

The ban would remain in place until all issues on interceptions by the PVO of the EC.

Rev. Nkrumah is worried a similar incident could happened if due diligence is not done before the project begins.

“Just like we sent our vegetables to the European market and they returned them, this could happen if we don’t do our homework well. This is affecting the image of the country on the international market”. Rev Nkrumah has said.

He however questions the availability of expertise along the value chain to sustain the project devoid of any surprises.

“If we are bringing this we have to look at the value chain, do we have experts here to train?” He quizzed.