Exporting dried food to the EU market is a key to economic growth and development – ​​CBI

CBI, the Center for the Promotion of Imports from Developing Countries, an agency of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has revealed the contribution of Ghanaian dried food exports to the European market.

According to the CBI, this would promote economic growth and development. To achieve this, the agency would work to support sectors in developing countries and emerging markets, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Ghana, by supporting manufacturers to increase exports.

This was evident at the launch of the CBI dried fruit project in Accra.

Speaking at the launch, the CBI Program Manager, Afke Van der Woude, stated that the aim of the CBI is to grow dried fruits and export from Ghana to the European Union market in order to create employment opportunities for the youth in the sector.

She further stated that CBI will assist SMEs in improving dried fruit production to meet EU market standards and introduce them to international buyers and importers.

“CBI aims to address the challenges faced by SMEs in Ghana, such as supply chain inefficiencies, raw material and input issues, and skills and technology gaps.” Mrs Afke Van der Woude states this.

To make this successful, the CBI program manager emphasized that they would collaborate with educational institutions such as TVET and bring university graduates into the sector.

She further stated that the CBI cannot do this alone and will work with the Ghana Export Promotion Authority and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA).

Adding her voice to the launch was the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), Dr. Afua Asabea Asare, who also expressed GEPA’s support for the CBI, stating that GEPA would look forward to supporting the good works of the CBI and would make every effort to facilitate the necessary support and to offer.

The CEO believes that the CBI’s good intention to support youth in the country is commendable and the association will also do everything possible to support the project.

She further stated that agriculture has moved beyond sword and hoe as the world progresses and Ghana must endorse this progress.

At the virtual launch, CBI sector expert Mr. Aleksandar Jovanovic said SMEs need to plan growth, have market knowledge, be realistic, set time limits and be people-oriented.

During a study on access to the EU dried fruit market, the CEO of Polaris Meetings, Mr. Chris Debove, indicated that the market for all food in Europe is shrinking and Ghana must take advantage of this to participate.

He indicated that Ghana has good quality of products but does not have certification to enter the EU market. He therefore recommended that exporters to Europe focus on certification as a first step.

He urged SMEs to promote their businesses and products to attract the necessary buyers. He advised SMEs to allocate and spend their budget selectively and ensure they target the right audience.

The CBI Ghana Dried Fruits Project has been duly launched and has become operational as directed by the CBI Program Manager, Mrs. Afke Van der Woude.