Ghana targets $5 billion in Non-Traditional exports

The General Manager of the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), Mr. Stephen Normeshie said the country must take advantage of the openings in the international market to achieve its $5 billion target from non-traditional exports by the year 2019.

He said there was the need for the country to position itself to take advantage of the international market opportunities to boost export revenue to be able to achieve the target.

Mr. Normeshie was speaking at the final workshop on capacity building for export oriented value chain operators for groundnuts and cereals at Navrongo, in the Upper East Region of Ghana.

The workshop climaxed a three-month training programme in 20 districts in the Northern, Upper East, Upper West and Brong-Ahafo Regions.

The training workshop was to enhance export quality control, management and certification of groundnut and cereal products to the international market.

The beneficiary areas in the Upper East Region are the Kassena-Nankana West District, Builsa South and Builsa North Districts and Garu-Tempane District.

The Ghana Export Promotion Authority has identified groundnut as one of the non-traditional exports with great potential to help meet the export target.

The three regions of the north together, produce eighty-per cent of the national output.

Ms Mariella Sandini, the team leader of the TRAQUE Programme, funders of the workshop, urged the participants to ensure the safety of their produce at all times to meet consumer expectations.

She said keeping aflatoxins at minimal levels in the groundnuts the farmers produced would give them opportunity to access European markets and increase their profits.

The TRAQUE Programme, with a 15 million Euro funding by the European Union (EU), supported this value chain workshop.