Ministry to streamline yam export

Accra, July 25, GNA - The Ministry of Trade, Industry and President's Special Initiatives is to come out with modalities to streamline the export of yams to Europe and US after consultations with various groups in yam export.

A statement on Friday said the groups and the ministry agreed to set modalities to boost yam export and bring sanity into the sector at a meeting in Accra.

It said the modalities included agreement on a single corridor for the marketing of the produce, the quota system, a quality control mechanism and pre-payment and repatriation of proceeds mechanism.

The ststement said: "It is envisaged that the implementation of these modalities will streamline the sector and go a long way to address the problems militating against the yam export."

These problems included oversupply, poor packaging and presentation, drug trafficking, money laundering and capital flight.

The statement said Mr Kwadwo Affram Asiedu, Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and President's Special Initiative who chaired the discussions, said if the exporters planned well the sector would be transformed to the mutual benefit of their members and the country.