Some coffee processors are urging the government to speed up the process of investing in coffee packaging. According to them, their goal is to meet the international market standard for exports.
Mrs Ivy Wireh, CEO of Café Magnifico indicated that she does her design in Ghana but does her packages in China.
“I don’t want to create a product that cannot compete internationally. There are businesses here involved in making boxes for the product but they cannot produce pouches like these. So, we have no choice than to import from China.
“There have been promises to invest in the sector, the government should speed up.”
Ivy Wireh, CEO of Café Magnifico.
A young entrepreneur in coffee processing, Mrs. Wireh, also said the sector is not lucrative at the moment. She also indicated that no one has set the ropes for the players in the sector to follow. However, if government explores the prospects, it will grow bigger.t the ropes for us in the sector to follow. We’re still learning in the industry. So, we are investing but we losing money though they are prospects for the industry.”
Meanwhile, Seidu Ansomana, a coffee farmer at Bepong in the Eastern Region is optimistic that the government’s initiatives will help the sector achieve its target of producing 100,000 tonnes of coffee by 2023.
“We’re already in 2021, but the birth of the Planting for Export and Rural Development initiated in 2018 brings some hope to the table. Kwahu South District is one of the places government is partnering with to ensure the success of the programme.”
“I believe this is achievable in 2023.”
Seidu Ansomana
Read also: Coffee farmers cry over government’s neglect of sector
Implementation of Government’s Coffee Development Programme
Through the Coffee Development Programme, Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) is to receive GHC64 million seed money to establish a coffee and shea division. This was revealed in the 2021 Budget Statement and Economic Policy presented to Parliament on Friday, March 12, 2021. The move is part of a broader plan to revolutionize the sector to consolidate recent gains made. Thereby, propelling coffee to a similar status of Cocoa in Ghana.
“The government remains committed to the sustainable development of the coffee and shea sectors. To this end, COCOBOD continues to implement programmes for the revitalization of these sectors.
“In order to strengthen implementation of interventions that will improve production and marketing of these commodities, COCOBOD is setting up a new division, called the Coffee and Shea Division (CSD) of COCOBOD, with an initial funding amount of GHC64 million.”
2021 Budget Statement.
The new division will improve production of the sector, through distribution of certified planting materials. The new division will contribute to expanding extension delivery and other productivity enhancement support services as well.
Read also: The Ghanaian Coffee Industry is undergoing a revolution – Agric Minister
