by Market Insider
Monday, 04 Aug. 2014
The European Union (EU) has announced a temporary ban on vegetable imports from Ghana after some were found to fall below EU quality standards.
Ghanaian farmers have faced bans from the EU in the past, most recently in May for citrus due to the presence of angular leaf spot disease; prior to that, mangoes were forbidden entry due to an infestation of fruit flies.
Ghana's deputy minister of finance and economic planning said that the government is now putting measures in place to address the issue and, as is not the first time Ghana has these concerns, is clearly going to take them on board in order to have sustainable exports without accepting compromises on quality.
The government would ensure farmers will be given the support and the equipment necessary to guarantee that minimum standards will be met.
Ghana is the largest exporter of yams to the EU and other vegetable exports include chillies, okra, aubergines and marrows.
One of the main challenges facing Ghanaian vegetable exports is in repackaging the produce, a process that is done in open air at Kotoka airport and can lead to a reduction in quality and shelf life.
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