Accra (Greater Accra Region) 11 Oct 1998 The Ghana Vegetable Marketing Company (GVMC) is to cultivate a 155-hectare land acquired through the Vegetable Exporters Association at the Kpong Irrigation Project site. Mr Frank Gadogbe, Executive Director, made this known to the GRi in Accra at the company's first general meeting on October 10.

The GVMC, the marketing wing of the Vegetable Producers and Exporters Association which was formed in August, this year, aims at bringing vegetable farmers in the Greater Accra, Eastern and Volta regions under one umbrella.

It would also assist in standardising and regularising prices for their products in order to remove the problem of price fluctuation. Mr Gadogbe said members would be encouraged to cultivate French beans, sweet pepper, sweet potatoes, salad onions, pumpkins and squash among other vegetables.

He urged them to improve the quality of their products to increase their output and also adopt excellent packaging, sorting and grading methods.

Mr Gadogbe said the company hopes to export products worth about three million dollars in the first year of its operation as against a total of 1.2 million dollars by individual vegetable producers and exporters in the three regions.

The company would also collaborate with other vegetable exporting countries like Kenya, Cote d'Ivoire, Uganda, Egypt, Israel and Turkey to improve upon its organisational capabilities. GRi