A total of 257,342 tonnes of non-traditional products were exported through the port of Tema in 2002 as against 242,866 tonnes in 2001, representing an increase of six percent, Mrs Mercy Coleman, Traffic Manager of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) has said.

She told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at the weekend that fresh pineapples constituted 12 percent of the commodities among ten products that are frequently exported. The rest of the ten items are lumber/plywood/veneer 11.8 per cent, cocoa products, 10 per cent, sheanuts, nine percent, canned tuna, 8.6 percent and scraps 5.5 percent.

The rest are fresh yams, five percent, mouldings and furniture/components, 3.6 percent, aluminium products, and cashew nuts three per cent each.

The latest shipment brings to 1,829,272 tonnes of non-traditional products so far exported through the port since 1992.

The main exporting countries are Holland, Spain, Germany and France, all in Europe and some countries in West Africa and the Far East.

The Traffic Manager said everything had been put in place to ensure that no product goes bad at the sheds.

The GNA learnt that the products do not keep long at the shed because the exporters are normally informed of the arrival of the conveying vessels and so they bring in the products on time.

However, in the event of shipment delays, air-conditioners have been installed to preserve them.

Variety of items such as charcoal, banana and wheat bran exported through the port also increased by 15 per cent from 67 varieties in 2001 to 79 in 2002.

Non-Traditional Exports in tonnage from 1992 to 2001: 2001 - 242,866, 2000 - 250,268, 1999 - 218,556, 1998 - 212,633, 1997 - 195,789, 1996 - 170,850, 1995 - 75,718, 1994 - 59,962, 1993 - 74,238, and 1992 - 71,050.