By Konrad Kodjo DJAISI
IDH-Ghana is a Dutch-based organisation which transforms markets in global supply chains, and that is done by convening markets like the Stakeholders’ Horticulture Market Convening held in Accra on July 29, 2024.
Ghana’s horticultural sector holds immense potential for growth and development. For vegetables such as tomatoes, data from the Ghana Statistical Service reveals that of a whopping 800,000mt consumed, only 25% is produced in-country and the rest imported from neighbouring countries such as Burkina Faso.
Therefore, IDH Ghana seeks to explore the vibrant yet complex market of local vegetable sourcing in Ghana; from small-scale local producers, marketers to all supply chain actors in the horticultural sector.
Despite the potential for growing Ghana’s horticultural sector, there are significant challenges that have to be addressed – such as high cost of farm inputs, poor mechanisation and irrigation systems and inadequate market development structures to enable vegetable producers produce more and meet the demands of Ghana’s market.
For instance, Nigeria accounts for 20 percent of the onions sold in Ghana while Burkina Faso exports about 5 percent of the onions consumed there. Ghana only produces 5 percent of the onions it consumes locally.
As a result, IDH wants to support the sector’s transformation through its market convening expertise and working with relevant stakeholders in the sector to create an enabling environment for sector growth
Country Director of IDH-Ghana Robert Asugre said the convening is concentrating on key vegetables like tomatoes, onions and chilies. He notes that the country imports a lot of these commodities while there is opportunity and potential to cultivate them here in order to create jobs as well as sustain farmers’ incomes in Ghana.
Mr. Asugre said cost of production for the sector is high because most of the seeds have to be imported – and that is where IDH hopes to lend its support to local seed growers. He mentioned access to capital as another hurdle.
Therefore, to overcome the multiple challenges IDH decided to convene all stakeholders including MoFA, seed producers and all along the vegetable value chain to discuss how to surmount the challenges in order to ensure a vibrant horticulture sector.
IDH is partnering with the MasterCard foundation and Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands while collaborating with HBP to create needed growth in the sector and inclusive supply chains which benefit women, youth and other actors in the industry.
