CBI, the Centre for the Promotion of Imports from Developing Countries, an agency of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has revealed the contribution of exporting Ghana’s dried foods to the European market.

According to CBI, this would promote economic growth and development. To achieve this, the agency would work towards sustaining sectors in developing countries and upcoming markets, especially Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Ghana by supporting the producers in growing the exports.

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

Addressing the launch, the CBI program manager, Afke Van der Woude, stated that the goal of CBI is to grow dried fruit and exports from Ghana to the European Union market to create job opportunities for the youth in the sector.

She further stated that CBI will aid SMEs in improving the production of dried fruits to meet EU market standards and introduce them to international buyers and importers.

“CBI aims to address the challenges SMEs face in Ghana, such as supply chain inefficiencies, issues with raw materials and inputs, and gaps in skills and technology”. Ms. Afke Van der Woude asserted.

To make this successful, the CBI program manager highlighted that they would partner with educational institutions like TVET and bring on-board university graduates to the sector.

She further stated that CBI cannot do this alone and will be partnering 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 CBI stating that GEPA would look forward to supporting the good works of CBI and would do everything possible to facilitate and provide the requisite support.

The CEO believes that the good intention of CBI to support young people in the country is commendable, and the association will also do everything possible to support the project.

She further stated that agriculture has gone beyond cutlass and hoe, as the world is advancing, and Ghana needs to subscribe to this advancement.

Joining the launch by virtual, the CBI sector expert, Mr. Aleksandar Jovanovic, mentioned that SMEs must plan for growth, have market knowledge, be realistic, set time bounds, and be people-oriented.

Conducting a study on how to access the EU market with dried fruits, the CEO of Polaris Meetings, Mr. Chris Debove indicated that the market for all the foods in Europe is decreasing, and Ghana must take advantage of that to participate.

He indicated that Ghana has a good quality of products but lacks certification to enter the EU market. He therefore recommended that exporters to Europe focus on certification as the first step.

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

The CBI Ghana Dried Fruits Project has been duly launched and has started operation as indicated by the CBI program manager, Ms. Afke Van der Woude.