Handicraft sector sees 41% growth

Export earnings from handicraft products last year saw an increase of 41 percent over the previous year, to reach US$3.47million in 2014 as against US$2.46million in 2013, representing a growth of 41.06 percent. It also contributed 0.14 percent of total non-traditional exports in 2014.

According to the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), the sector documented the highest growth in the three sub-sector performance, ahead of agriculture and processed/semi processed produce which recorded a percent growth of 5.24 and 2.83 respectively.

Products classified under the handicraft category include basket-ware, ceramic products, traditional musical instruments, hides and skins, batik/tye and dye, statuettes, beads, painting, and drawings.

The sector’s growth was attributed to participation of twelve key craft export companies from the country in last year’s Summer Artisan Resource in New York, which was part of measures to re-establish the country’s handicraft on the United States market.

GEPA lamented that the sector’s potential as a major source of foreign exchange for the country is underutilized, and therefore noted the need for industry stakeholders to incorporate technology to enhance product quality and meet buyers’ tastes.

The authority urged handicraft producers to be innovative with their designs to meet large demands from major buyers.

“The main problem hampering the sub-sector is the shift of major buyers from Ghanaian handicraft products to other sources of supply for new and modern designs with relatively better finishing and functionality. For instance, buyers of statuettes in the USA turned to the Far-East countries such as Indonesia, India and China,” Mr. Gideon Quarcoo, Chief Executive of GEPA, noted at the 76th National Exporters Forum in Accra.

Meanwhile, actors in the industry are calling on government to introduce market and product development programmes that will help to boost the sector.

“There is need for a collaborative scheme toward the establishment of key infrastructure at handicraft producing centres that are spread out in the country, as they have an enormous potential to support economic development.

“The absence of such infrastructure is affecting our export potential, as poor finishing and functionality cause buyers to look elsewhere for better alternatives,” a couple of craftsmen and artifacts sellers disclosed to the B&FT in an interview.

Some of the craftsmenalso attributed the constraint on exports to the recent outbreak of Ebola virus on the continent, stating that customers outside the country cited the deadly disease as reason for not getting in touch to do business