In a move that is poised to increase demand for local produce and boost farmers’ earnings, the West African country of Ghana is seeking to import mango from Kenya for re-export to Europe when its fruits are off-season.
According to Business Africa Daily, the Federation of Association of Ghanaian Exporters president Davies Korboe led a delegation of business people in the country last week to assess the Kenyan mango as they plan to start imports of the fruit to the West African nation. The exporters were in the country on a fact-finding mission on Kenya’s ability to supply their market before signing bilateral agreements.
Ghanaian Exporters Federation says they are seeking Kenyan fruit to supplement their mango exports to the EU during Ghana’s off-season. “We can trade among ourselves where we don’t have mango we can easily access from here when ours is off-season for export to Europe,” said Mr Korboe. The programme is being supported by the European Union-funded Market Access Upgrade Programme (MARKUP) that will train farmers on good practices in order to access the Ghanaian market given the stringent measure imposed by Europe on exports of fresh produce.
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“The international market requires some basic standards to be complied with before you are given a market there, hence the need for training to ensure compliance,” said MARKUP Kenya national coordinator Maina Karuiru. Under the market access programme, farmers will be trained in phytosanitary requirements to meet the standard of the European Union.
The trade deal will see Kenyan farmers export both processed and fresh mangoes to Ghana, making it the fourth export destination for local produce after the European Union, United Arab Emirates and the East African Community. Kenyan mangoes have in the last two years been highly sought by different countries across the globe as the country enhances phytosanitary measures.
