Dr Afua Asabea Asare, the CEO of Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), says the Authority has been supplying best and high-yielding vegetable seedlings to farmers to boost the country’s vegetable export.
In 2023, Ghana earned $15, 050,000 from its vegetable export to the global market and has taken measures to increase the export in the ensuing years.
Speaking during the Minister’s news briefing in Accra on Sunday, Dr Asabea Asare said her outfit had been engaging the extension officers from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to provide best extension services to vegetable farmers to ensure Ghana’s vegetables maintain global standards.
Dr Asabea Asare stated that GEPA had successfully diversified Ghana’s exports beyond traditional products like cocoa beans and timber.
“Today, the Non-Traditional Exports (NTEs) sectors include products from sectors such as agribusiness, manufacturing, arts and crafts, and services,” she added.
She noted that in 2023, GEPA recorded significant growth in the NTE sector, reaching an impressive $3.944 billion in earnings, representing 11.75% increase over the previous year.
She mentioned some of the major products contributing to the country’s export earnings as iron and steel, cocoa paste, cashew nuts, and shea oil, with iron and steel topping the list at $447.8 million.
“GEPA has implemented programmes to support product development, market intelligence, and research to ensure exporters have the tools and knowledge to succeed on the global stage,”Dr Asabea Asare emphasised.
She added that GEPA’s strategic interventions include the “Youth in Export” programme, which was designed to attract the youths to the export business.
She explained that the programme provided participants with hands-on training, mentorship, and capacity building, focusing on practical learning to ensure they were well-prepared to become successful exporters.
“Through hands-on training, mentorship, and capacity building, this programme equips participants with the skills to succeed in various sectors,” she said.
The CEO of GEPA further explained that the first and second cohorts of the programme had already created over 500 employment opportunities and plans to expand the initiative with a third cohort expected to generate over 4,000 direct jobs.
Dr Asabea Asare underscored GEPA’s commitment to supporting women in export, noting that pivotal to this effort were a wide range of women-centered projects designed to empower women entrepreneurs and expand their presence on the global market stage.
“Empowering women in export is not only about economic growth but also about inclusive development creating opportunities for women entrepreneurs, therefore, GEPA ensures that Ghana’s export growth benefits all sectors of society.
“Going forward, GEPA plans to expand these programmes, increase the number of women beneficiaries, and forge new partnerships that will offer even more resources and opportunities to women in the export industry,” Dr Asabea Asare assured.
GNA