EU to Review Ghana’s Vegetable Ban

Representatives from the European Union (EU) will soon arrive in the country to undertake critical assessment of the ban placed on some vegetable exports from Ghana by the end of the year.

The assessment, according to Mr Eric Amoako Twum, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) would enable the EU to consider the possibility to lift the ban.

He said the assessment would be based on packaging, quality of vegetables, information, standards, and other key areas.

Mr Twum who made this known in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani, on the sidelines of a meeting on the implementation of the National Export Strategy, vis-à-vis the One – District-One-Exportable-Product, said the ban had decreased the country’s production of vegetables.

The EU has banned exports of some vegetables from Ghana into the European market on several concerns, including quality and poor packaging.

That notwithstanding, Mr Twum advised vegetable farmers not to be discouraged, but to work hard to increase productivity, as the government worked out modalities with the EU to lift the ban.

The meeting was organised by the GEPA and attended by District Chief Executives, Coordinating Directors and other stakeholders in the export sector, and aimed at identifying new export products in the various districts of the Brong-Ahafo Region.

Mr Twum said the export sector had huge potentials to transform the economic fortunes of the nation, indicating that Non-Traditional Exports (NTEs) provided more jobs.

He said GEPA which is currently going through structuring realignment to be able to identify and tap into new export products, was poised to perform its critical functions in the export value chain.

Mr Twum called on the media to develop interest in the export sector, and highlight the key areas so that exportable products in especially the various districts could easily be identified.

Source: GNA