The West Africa Competitiveness Programme (WACOMP) Ghana – a project mainly funded by the European Union (EU), is seeking to transform the mango industry through by building a greenhouse nursery at Cotton-Weblink Portfolio Limited at Trom near Somanya in the Eastern Region.
A beneficiary of the WACOMP project who doubles as Chief Executive Officer of Cotton-Weblink Limited Portfolio, Davies Narh Korboe, made this known to the EU Ambassador and a team from United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) during a tour to the implemented sites of some beneficiaries of WACOMP Ghana projects, as part of its activities to mark the European Union Celebration Week.
He described the initiative by WACOMP as a game-changer and a huge boost to the mango industry’s growth and success, explaining further that prior to the greenhouse facility’s presence, seedlings were nursed in unsafe environments.
“To me, the greenhouse nursery’s presence has been a game-changer because initially we had a challenge in addressing the Black Bacteria Spot (BBS) issue which was limiting our production; and we realised that for us to curtail the disease we needed to start from the farm. So, with the support of WACOMP through the EU, we have a greenhouse nursery; and this has sanitised the nursery space in the mango industry,” he explained.
Victor Avah, a mango consultant, also confirmed the success chalked up after implementing the greenhouse, saying: “When seedlings are in the open, it takes six months to get them ready for sale; but when they are placed under the greenhouse, the temperature is increased; and this eventually reduces the gestation period from six months to three and half months, making it possible to sell more seedlings within a period of time”.
Mr. Avah added that since the nursery’s inception in 2021, the company has raised three batches of seedlings and sold them to the Tree Crop Development Authority (TCDA), individuals and other associations.
“The greenhouse seedlings have helped us increase the number of seedlings produced, and so far we have sold about 16,000 seedlings since its inception. Previously, though the total seedlings produced in the open space is similar to the current quantity, most of them turned out to be affected by diseases – especially during the dry season – and this limits the number of seedlings sold,” a farmer at the greenhouse nursery, David Tetteh, explained.
Turning his attention to how other parts of the country can benefit from the mango nursery, the Chief Technical Advisor of WACOMP, Dr. Charles Kwame Sackey, said Mr. Korboe and his outfit are up scaling to Brong Ahafo, where they will be implementing two more nurseries to support the mango industry in the middle belt.
“I pay full utility bills at the pack house, and when I am buying inputs I pay the same commercial rates so I don’t get any form of subsidy,” Mr. Korboe lamented.
Another beneficiary of the project, Co-Founders of Hendy Farms, Sandra Snowden and Rita Brobbey, who grow varieties of mango on their 20 acre of land and mainly focuses on value addition said with the support from WACOMP they have set up a processing unit that uses solar to dry mangoes which they export to Spain, United Kingdom, Netherlands and Germany.
Sharing his general assessment on the tour, Mr. Razaaly said he was impressed about the output adding that it was also insightful knowing more about mangoes – the varieties and the process it goes through before getting to the final consumer.
Three other EU member state Ambassadors to Ghana – France Ambassador, Jules-Armand Aniambossou; Germany Ambassador, Daniel Krull and Hungarian Ambassador, Tamás Endre Fehér joined Mr. Razaaly on the tour.
