Ghana Vegetables, an association of vegetable exporters has disclosed that it is targeting to increase exports of its products to about $7 million dollars by close of the year.

The forecast comes after the Vegetable Producers and Exporters Association of Ghana (VEPEAG) and the Ghana Association of Vegetable Exporters (GAVEX) merged to form Ghana Vegetables.

Speaking to Joy Business after ceremony to launch the merger, the Chairman of the group, Dr. Felix Kamassah said the country could earn more from export of vegetables.

“The data from the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) shows that in 2013 Ghana did about $4 million but with the merger and the time span we are targeting $7 million” he said.

Speaking on the merger, Dr. Kamassah explained that the move will help increase the volume of export.

“There have been attempts to consolidate the efforts and strategies of the VEPEAG and GAVEX to present a formidable front to pursue reforms that will benefit the producers and exporters of fresh vegetables,” he said.

“We are happy to announce the crystallisation of our efforts into the formation of Ghana Vegetables, a blueprint that will spur the growth of  fruits and vegetables industry in Ghana while  taking  advantage of existing export market opportunities.”

Among others, the Ghana Vegetables will work to ensure the production of quality volumes of vegetables for local and international markets to promote the consumption of more vegetables by Ghanaians.

Dr Kamassah lauded work done by Hortifresh West Africa in laying the platform for the birth of the new Ghana Vegetables project.

Hortifresh is a programme supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to establish a sustainable and internationally competitive fruit and vegetable sector that contributes to inclusive economic growth, food and nutrition security in Ghana and Ivory Coast.

Hortifresh replaced the GhanaVeg programme that was implemented from 2013 to 2017 with the aim of developing a competitive and sustainable vegetable sector in Ghana.