Fidelity Bank has partnered Eco-Business Fund to train stakeholders in the mango value chain.
Addressing the media, Director of Commercial and SME, Fidelity Bank, Alex Agyei Amponsah, explained the training was aimed at equipping industry players to solve key challenges affecting self-sufficiency.
According to him, Ghana should be able to feed and export to generate revenue.
“We spend the little that we earn on importation but we must spend our resources in generating value ourselves; feeding ourselves and exportation.”
The national chairman of the Mango Association, Mr. Anthony Botchway, said the training was timely as it will help members to bridge the productivity gap.
“The global average of productivity is about 20 metric tonnes per hectare but in Ghana, farms are producing around 2.5-10 metric tonnes which means we have a low production rate.”
The Strategic Adviser for Finance in motion Eco-Business Fund, Mr. Caleb Tamfu, said his outfit was committed to supporting agribusiness in the country. He was hopeful of receiving some investable ideas that would go a long way in attracting assistance and solving challenges in the sector.
A representative of Ghana Incentive-Based Risk-Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (GIRSAL), Mr. Samuel Yeboah, announced his outfit’s five-year plan, aimed at supporting agribusinesses in Ghana, of which mango was one of the selected commodities.
“As part of our five-year strategic plan, we have selected some value chains to focus on and mango is one of them. We are doing this to increase exports and reduce importation.”
The two-day training held in Sunyani saw 70 participants drawn from the value chain across the country. The training was an opportunity for processors, exporters, producers, input dealers and consultants to discuss challenges confronting the industry, and enable the bank to assist especially with funding.
