Warehouses in EU-GAP programme area receive post-harvest management equipment  

Twenty-seven (27) warehouses in the European Union Ghana Agriculture Programme (EU-GAP) joint programme area have received warehouse equipment as part of efforts to improve post-harvest management. 

The equipment included 32 moisture meters, 130 plastic and 120 wooden pallets, 32 digital weighing scales, 15 extensible metallic ladders, 27 bag stitchers, 27 test weights and 31 tarpaulins. 

The Fasco warehouse in Fian in the Upper West Region and Jamila Future Hopes Enterprise in Sawla in the Savannah Region, among others, benefited from the intervention under the GIZ Grant Agreement under the EU-GAP.  

Speaking at a brief ceremony in Wa to hand over the equipment, Mr John Dumelo, the Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, indicated that the 27 beneficiary warehouses were selected out of 57 assessed for the intervention.  

The selection criteria included equipment gaps, scale of operations, number of smallholder farmers served, inclusion of women-led facilities, and strategic location. 

The Minister said the intervention “marks a major step forward in our collective efforts to build a resilient, efficient, and inclusive agricultural sector under the framework of the Feed Ghana Programme.”  

He commended the EU and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) for their “unwavering support” for the agricultural sector of the country, especially in the North-Western part of Ghana. 

Mr Charles Lwanga Puozuing, the Upper West Regional Minister, observed that agriculture was the major livelihood of the people in the region. 

He said the equipment would help reduce post-harvest losses, promote effective storage and distribution systems, and enhance the incomes and livelihoods of the farmers.  

He said achieving a thriving agricultural sector required strategic partnerships and evidence-based interventions.  

Mr Elvis Mensah-Bonsu, the Component Manager, Agribiz at GIZ, said the Grant Agreement represented the shared commitment of the partners – the government of Ghana, GIZ and the EU – to strengthening Ghana’s agricultural systems through enhanced value chain development, and improved quality production, among others. 

He indicated they had rolled out training for warehouse and packhouse operators and aggregators in equipment use and digital platforms to ensure that those resources translated into sustainable and long-term impact.  

He encouraged the beneficiaries to maximise the intervention to transform their livelihoods, generate employment, and contribute to food security in Ghana. 

Mr Jeremy Agyemang, the Head of Business Development Unit at MoFA, who represented the Acting Chief Director of the Ministry, observed that Ghana lost a huge portion of its harvest to post-harvest losses annually.  

He said the intervention was timely as it would help preserve the quality and quantity of the produce and ensure the efforts of farmers were not in vain. 

Alhaji Abdulai Antiku Seidu, the Chief Executive Officer of Antika Company Limited, in a statement on behalf of the beneficiaries, expressed gratitude to the government and its partners for the intervention and said it would enhance their operations.  

Source: GNA