Greening must be part of Ghana’s development, not an afterthought – Prof Naana Jane

Vice President Naana Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang has urged Ghana to transform its horticulture industry into a global export powerhouse, capable of generating jobs, expanding businesses, and breaking into international markets. Acknowledging Kenya's success in replicating its horticulture industry, she emphasized that Ghana has the potential to achieve even greater results.

During the opening of the 14th Ghana Garden and Flower Show, she highlighted the diverse economic opportunities presented by horticulture, encompassing growers, skills, services, markets, and livelihoods. Prof Naana Jane stressed the importance of developing the entire horticultural value chain, including reliable transport, storage, quality standards, and market access, as horticultural products are often perishable.

Government agricultural programmes, such as the Feed Ghana Program, which prioritizes vegetables, can serve as a foundation for expanding the sector with support for irrigation, improved inputs, greenhouse production, and better market access. The establishment of farmer service centers across Ghana will provide producers with export support, inputs, machinery, and market linkages.

Prof Naana Jane connected the growth of horticulture to Ghana's environmental agenda, stating that greening must be an integral part of development. She mentioned the Tree for Life initiative, which involves planting millions of seedlings and encouraging towns and cities to improve and maintain green spaces. The Vice President urged stakeholders to strengthen standards, financing, and market access for Ghanaian horticultural businesses to compete internationally, emphasizing the need for collaboration among training institutions, financial institutions, the private sector, and industry organizations.

She also highlighted the importance of greening as an integral part of development, particularly in light of recent floods.