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Ghana to participate in international
fruit and vegetable fair in Germany
Accra, Feb 5, GNA- Ghana is to participate in this year's
international fruit and vegetable fair scheduled for Germany
this week.
A 26-member delegation, led by Prof Sefa Dede, President of
the National Horticultural Task Force has already left Ghana
for Germany in preparation for the three-day fair which
comes off from Thursday, February 8 to Saturday, February
10, 2007 at the Berlin Messe in Germany.
Dubbed, "the Berlin Fruchte Logistic," the fair being
organised by the German Government would be opened by the
German Minister of Trade.
Briefing newsmen on the fair, Mr Joseph Tontoh, President of
the Vegetable Producers Association of Ghana (VEPAG), the
Association together with the Horticultural Association of
Ghana, was attending the fair as a group to present a united
front to effectively co-ordinate their activities.
He said Ghana would showcase products such as chillies,
aubergines, eggplants, pineapple, carrot potatoes, pawpaw
and okra.
Varieties of mangoes such as Palma, Kitts and Kent would
also be on display.
Mr Tontoh said this would be the second time Ghana would be
participating in the fair as a group, adding that vegetable
production had a high potential of expanding the Ghanaian
export market.
This, he said was because the European market was taking a
high consideration for chillies.
Mr Tontoh urged Ghanaian farmers to diversify their
production and get into vegetable farming, explaining that
some vegetables had relatively short time of six weeks to
mature and could provide ready income.
Also, Ghana stood a better advantage in terms of less
travelling time and cost, spending six hours to get to the
European market, as against her main competitors Uganda and
Kenya, which took 10 hours.
Mr Tontoh called on Ghanaians to consume more fruits and
vegetables, not only for the health benefits but also to
widen the local fruit and vegetable market.
The VEPAG President said Association ensured that its
members planted certified seeds, applied certified
chemicals, used clean water and maintained other good
agricultural practices to meet standards on the
international market.
He extended an invitation to fruit and vegetable farmers to
join the Association to enjoy the benefits of economies of
scale.
Mr Tontoh also appealed to Government to come to the aid of
VEPAG with a packing shed that had a coolant, and also
irrigation schemes and micro financing for an all year round
vegetable farming.
GNA
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