Ghanaian fruits and vegetables took centre stage at the 2023 MACFRUT Exhibition in Rimini, Italy, highlighting the country’s agricultural and export prowess.
The MACFRUT exhibition, known as the premier supply chain trade fair for professionals in the fruit and vegetables sector, provided a platform for members of the Federation of Association of Ghanaian Exporters (FAGE) to showcase their products and engage with participants from around the world.
Davies Korboe, President of FAGE, expressed the primary goal of their participation, stating that it aimed to demonstrate Ghana‘s potential as a global leader in agriculture and exports by presenting a diverse range of products such as fresh mangoes, pineapples, papayas, orange-fleshed potatoes, yams, dry coconuts, and processed foods.
Korboe emphasized the significance of FAGE’s involvement in the exhibition as a significant boost to Ghana’s non-traditional export (NTE) industry and a driving force for the country’s export sector. He called for increased collaboration between exporters and the government to foster a conducive environment for exports.
Ghana’s Deputy Ambassador to Italy, Matilda Aku Alomatu Osei-Agyeman, expressed her satisfaction with FAGE’s participation in the exhibition and saw it as an excellent opportunity to showcase Ghana’s export potential to the world. She urged the Italian government to strengthen trade collaborations with Ghana.
The annual Non-Traditional Export Statistics Report, presented by the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), revealed that Ghana’s non-traditional exports (NTEs) in 2022 reached USD 3,531,048,234, representing a 6% growth compared to the previous year. This accounted for 20.22% of the total merchandise exports for the year.
Dr Afua Asabea Asare, CEO of GEPA, attributed this positive development to various interventions implemented under the National Export Development Strategy (NEDS), including programs like the Youth in Export Programme, Export Schools, and training initiatives for Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs).
MACFRUT, an international trade fair, brought together more than 1,100 exhibitors from over 40 different countries, serving as a platform for key players in the fruit and vegetable sector to connect and foster collaborations.
The Italian Trade Agency (ITA), in collaboration with FAGE, facilitated Ghana’s participation in the exhibition. Led by Davies Korboe, the Ghanaian delegation comprised 40 SMEs involved in the agricultural value chain.
Dr Alessandro Gerbino, the ITA’s Director for West Africa, encouraged the Ghanaian delegation to leverage the occasion to establish contacts with providers of technology products and solutions that enhance production efficiency.
