Ghana’s non-traditional export revenue reached US$3.5 billion in 2022, an increase of 6% over the statistics reported in 2021. Cocoa Paste and Cashew nuts were the leading products representing US$520.3 million and US$294.2 million respectively.
Mr. Alex Dadzawa, the Director of Projects at the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), attributed the achievement to favourable climatic conditions and deliberate government incentives among other trade factors.
Mr. Dadzawa, participating in a panel discussion, disclosed that the growth in cashew numbers was boosted by a strong demand from Asia citing Vietnam and India.
“Cashew is also a cross-border product, so it is also grown in our neighbouring countries. Hence, there is also some cross-border trade in it also. That also contributed to shoring up the quantities we did.”
Mr. Alex Dadzawa
According to the Director of Projects at GEPA, the inception of the Tree Crops Development Authority “has come to rationalise and sanitize the system for cashew and other tree crops” helping to increase the export volumes and values of cashew and similar tree crops.
He was quite appreciative of the nation’s cocoa processing businesses, particularly Niche Cocoa, whose efforts have gained its reputation in North American markets.
Ghanaian exports, he said, also benefited from the strong resurgence in consumption rates that followed the COVID-19 pandemic.
GEPA Launches Trade House In Kenya
Regardless the encouraging progress, Mr. Alex Dadzawa disclosed that the Ghana Exports Promotion is not resting its oars, recognizing there is much more work to do to meet the ambitious 25 Billion-dollar-target by 2029.
This, he said, has led the Authority, per its mandate to embark on an aggressive intra-continental promotion of made-in-Ghana products. One initiative is the establishment of the Ghana Trade House in Nairobi, Kenya.
According to Mr. Dadzawa, the one-stop shop business centre, located in Nairobi’s Sameer Business Park, aims to create a platform for Ghanaian exporters to promote their products and services in the East African country.
“Already, trading has started and people are patronising. The good thing also is that it will have a warehouse where the products when shipped will be distributed from there. We are very hopeful we are going to get a lot of orders.”
Mr. Alex Dadzawa
Alex Dadzawa further noted that since Kenya acts as the entry point to the East African area, this action is strategically important for fostering improved commercial links between Ghana and that region.
The launch of the Ghana Trade House coincided with the Ghana Expo 2023, an endeavour made possible through collaboration with the National African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Coordination Office.
In addition to allowing Ghanaian companies showcase their products, the conference, between 23rd to 27th May, 2023 in Kenya, also created the avenue for public and private sector players to discuss the numerous export opportunities that can be explored under AfCFTA.
The official from the Ghana Export Promotion Authority revealed that indeed these activities tie into Ghana’s mission to be one of the front runners of continental trading.
“Only 8 countries in Africa have declared readiness to trade under AfCFTA agreement where Ghana and Kenya are part of. In order not to let these opportunities become one of those things on paper where we sign agreements and not implement them, we thought of testing the waters by fielding a big mission to Kenya.”
Mr. Alex Dadzawa
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