Accra, July 2, GNA - Sea-Freight Pineapple Exporters of Ghana (SPEG) has described as incorrect TECHNOSERVE's assessment that Ghana's pineapple export was in crisis.

"...the export of Ghanaian pineapple is not declining as TECHNOSERVE wants to portray. Again the year 2002 export of 37,000 tonnes quoted by TECHNOSERVE was incorrect."

This was contained in a release signed by the General Manager of SPEG, Mr Stephen Mintah on Wednesday in reaction to a statement made by TECHNOSERVE at a recent workshop.

It said: ''Ghana rather exported a total of about 50,000 tonnes in 2002 and had a market share of about 10.5 per cent of the 474,000 tonnes European market. Indeed, it is wrong to suggest that Ghana's market share has been dwindling, it is rather increasing steadily."

The statement said currently, pineapple exports by SPEG members accounted for over 95 per cent of the total exports from Ghana and that from a modest beginning of 2,718 tonnes shipped in 1995, volumes of shipment by sea increased significantly to 32,000 tonnes in 2002, representing 65 per cent.

It said the remaining 18,000 tonnes were shipped by air adding that with the exception of negative growth in 1997 and 1998 due to the excessive droughts, pineapple exports continued to grow significantly.

The release said SPEG was conscious of the threats posed to the industry such as inroads being made by multinational companies, the introduction of MD2 variety on the market and the current demands by supermarkets and buyers for strict suppliers with a minimum food safety and other agricultural standards.

It said SPEG in collaboration with USAID and AMEX International and other governmental and non-governmental organizations were making efforts to set up a tissue culture facility for mass production of healthy and identical plantlets of crops including new varieties of pineapples that were now preferred in the European market.

The statement, therefore, requested TECHNOSERVE to consult the right players in the pineapple industry for discussions on any concerns it has or any support it may want to offer to the pineapple industry.