FRUIT and vegetable producers, exporters and players in Ghana’s horticultural industry say they are upbeat about prospects in the industry as they meet consumers of their products at this year’s Fruits Logistica Fair in Berlin, Germany.
They are hopeful that networking meetings and sessions at the fair will provide avenues to boost exports of horticultural products from Ghana to overseas destinations.
Managing Director of Maphlix Trust Ghana Limited, Dr Felix Mawuli Kamassah, who is among exhibitors told this paper, he’s leaving no stone unturned in ensuring that Ghana’s horticultural industry is supported to boost foreign exchange inflows.
“These are critical times for Ghana and the least we can do is to be deliberate about raking in foreign exchange through exports of these products that we have comparative advantage over,”
Maphlix Trust exports vegetables to markets like the UK and Dubai and supplies local companies such as KFC and Shoprite.
Dr Kamassah has successfully secured international clients, local import substitution opportunities and he grown massive potential in the processing of sweet potatoes.
In 2014, Maphlix participated in a trade fair in Germany with the assistance of the Ghana Export Promotion Authority. While there, Dr Kamassah did market research to better understand European consumers and what they were interested in.
Back in Ghana, he spent a year setting up the production of specific crops for which he identified demand in Germany. When he exhibited the company’s products at the fair the following year, he started receiving orders.
Fruit Logistica is a fresh produce trade show held annually in Berlin, the capital of Germany, Europe.
It is the most important business and communication arena of the international fresh produce trade. The industry’s key decision makers are there as exhibitors and trade visitors and have the opportunity of approaching potential business partners with their services and products
This year , representatives from the Sea Freight Pineapple Exporters of Ghana , Vegetable Producers and Exporters Association of Ghana (VEPEAG) , Ghana Vegetable Exporters, Coconut Federation of Ghana, Ghana Root Crops and Tubers Exporters and the National Mango Growers Association are attending the international fair.
The Ghana Exports Promotion Authority (GEPA) is also represented at this year’s event. Under the slogan ’Disrupt Agriculture’ the fourth Fruit Logistica Start-up Day will take place on tomorrow – 10 February 2023 – with a special format for start-ups developing groundbreaking products, projects and ideas.
