FAO.org

22 Jan 2019

On 4 December 2018 in Accra, MAFAP, the International Trade Center (ITC) and the Duke University Global Value Chains Center presented the results of a joint study aimed at boosting Ghana’s non-traditional agricultural exports (NTEs).The study proposes actionable policy options to the Government of Ghana to promote traditionally underinvested sectors and diversify the country’s agricultural exports portfolio.

 

The NTE sectors that were identified by the research team had been tested against six outcome indicators (i.e. competitiveness, international buyers’perspective, upgrading and inclusive growth opportunities, governance structure and policy alignment) and were validated by relevant stakeholders in August 2018. As a result, mango was selected as the most promising export product to be targeted by an in-depth assessment of investment priorities.

The workshop in Accra was attended by key private and public sector stakeholders, including the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MOTI), the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), and the Federation of Ghanaian Exporters (FAGE). The event provided the ideal stage to share observations and discuss the policy implications of selected NTEs, and in particular the mango value chain.

The results of the MAFAP-Duke-ITC analysis will feed in and support Ghana’s Export Strategy for the non-traditional sector. Recommendations concerning the mango value chain include the identification of upgrading trajectories in fresh and processed markets, interventions in pest and disease management, and investment in processing facilities to advance mango exports. MAFAP is working closely with ITC, MOTI as well as FAGE  to identify the next steps for the implementation of selected policy reccommendations for the mango sector.