GHANAVEG LAUNCHES FIRST BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY REPORT

Dutch Ambassador

Accra December 3. 2014. The Netherlands Ambassador to Ghana, Hans Docter said the Netherlands is the leading country in Greenhouse horticulture and vegetable exports globally which gives the opportunity to Ghana and the Netherlands to grow together in this field.  The  Ambassador also noted that the Netherlands Embassy through GhanaVeg can support companies who want to do ‘things differently’, investing in certification, introducing new crop varieties and improving the quality of vegetables in the retail sector. He said this during the launch of the First Business Opportunities Report at the Accra International Conference Centre.

Presentation of the BO Report

Mr. Hans Docter handed over the first copy of the Vegetables Business Opportunities Report to the Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Fifi Fiavi Kwetey.

 Minister’s Response

The Minister expressed his appreciation for the report and indicated that his Ministry fully supports modernizing agriculture and his ministry will work with the report. According to him quality standards in agriculture are non- negotiable. He advised that farmers should stop cutting corners and add value to their producein order to meet international standards. He promised that government will also invest in PPRSD to ensure that quality standards are adhered to across all sectors in agriculture.

The Report

The First Business Opportunities Report addresses the current performance, and overall business climate. The report includes a chapter on the Phytosanitory status of the vegetable sector in Ghana. Major bottlenecks and causes for non-compliance to sanitary and pytosanitory standards have been are identified, and the report proposes practical and innovative ways to improve food safety and plant health in vegetable chains. The Netherlands supports the system of digital phyto certification and will support the phytosanitary inspection office at the airport.