The country office of the Dubai Chamber for Commerce and Industry has held a one-day roundtable workshop for some of Ghana’s exporters of raw vegetable and fruits plus agro-processed materials on the processes and requirements to be met in order to export their produce to Dubai.

The Head of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ghana Office Cyril Darkwa speaking during the workshop called on Ghanaian vegetables and Fruits farmers and exporters to look the UAE which has greater growth opportunities as they look to expand their reach.

According to Mr. Darkwa, the UAE provides Ghanaian food manufacturers and exporters with a gateway to access a market of more than 4 billion consumers across the Middle East and Asia.

In an interview, during a roundtable discussion organized by the Dubai Chamber in collaboration with the Ghana Export Promotion Council, the head of the Ghana Office Cyril Darkwa said, “the UAE’s fast-growing population and the rising number of tourists are driving up demand within the food and beverage sector, which is projected to grow by 4 per cent annually to $13.2 billion by 2018, while it has stepped up its efforts to collaborate with other countries on food security.”

“Agricultural commodities and foodstuff were among the top products traded between Dubai and Ghana in 2016, contributing around $22 million to total non-oil bilateral trade during the year. We hope to see that volume grow in the near future through our combined efforts and increased cooperation,” he added.

Mr. Darkwa noted that considering current trends with regards with vegetable and fruits export, it is safe to say that, now is the ideal time for Ghanaian companies to build bridges with their Dubai counterparts and benefit from the emirate’s world-class logistics infrastructure and position as a trade link in the GCC’s food chain.

“For its part, Dubai Chamber remains committed to providing its 210,000 members with access to new trade and opportunities in promising markets. Our office in Accra is ready to provide all necessary support and resources to companies that want to trade with Dubai or use the emirate as a strategic hub to access markets in the GCC, Asia and Europe,” Mr. Darkwa noted.

The programme which was well attended saw some delegates meeting with senior officials from the Ghana Export Promotion Council and executives of prominent agricultural companies in the country. There have also been business meetings held with Agric association representatives from the public and private sectors.