Challenges remain in the country’s fruit sector that hinder fresh fruit export to the international market in volume, something the country should have a comparative advantage in due to its favaourable climatic conditions.

This was noted by the Acting Missions Director of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) Ghana, Grace Lang, who said the country holds significant potential in the global processed fruit market – yet poor post-harvest handling and sanitary issues, among others, affect fruit exports, causing 66 percent of fruits to be rejected annually.

She made this observation at the inauguration of a local fruit processing factory – Pure and Just Company Limited, adding that it potentially stifles economic growth.

The expanded factory, built under the USAID-supported Feed the Future Africa Trade and Investment Activity, is equipped with advanced fruit-drying machines which can process 6 tonnes of fresh fruits per day – an upgrade from the previous 1 tonne per day.

Ms. Grace Lang emphasised the U.S government’s unwavering support to creating jobs and fostering economic growth in the country.

She expressed confidence in the transforming impact of the facility, noting that it will not only generate jobs and increase incomes for farmers but also position Ghana as a player in the global dried-fruits market.

The fruit and vegetable sub-sector is pivotal to elevating Ghana’s economy and securing a substantial market share within the African continent. Industry stakeholders and local horticultural business owners continue to emphasise the importance of expanding into fruit and vegetable markets across Africa to take full advantage of the AfCFTA and larger global market.

With a focus on the AfCFTA, Ghana’s Non-Traditional Exports (NTEs) experienced a remarkable 17% increase by reaching US$3.33billion, according to the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) 2022 annual report.

Non-traditional exports, especially fruit and vegetables, hold great potential in the European Union market.