Accra, Dec. 23, GNA – Women In Agribusiness has appealed to the Government to provide them with financial and technical support to expand and capture the export market.
They explained that though they had been able to add value to their products, they lacked the financial muscle to build capacity, employ technological innovations and purchase raw materials.
These were said at the 9th edition of the Agriwomen marketplace at the Efua Sutherland Park in Accra where the women showcased their processed products in a two-day fair.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency, Mrs Cynthia Q. Enninful, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Cyelinest, an organic fruits processor, said her products were hand-made as they lacked the machinery to produce more.
Her business needs a hydraulic machine and dehydrator, costing about $3,000, excluding the cost of shipping.
She said the local retailers kept defaulting on payments, dwindling their small capital.
Miss Diamond Tumaku, CEO of Green Space, specialized in creating a vegetable garden in homes, said the high interest on bank loans was a disincentive.
She urged government through the trade and agriculture Ministries to organize periodic trainings to build capacities of startups. “We need education and capacity building. As startups you need knowledge in a particular field, but it is difficult accessing it.”
Meanwhile, Mr Eric Hudson Asamani, Greater Accra Regional Director, Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), urged the women entrepreneurs to liaise with the National Board for Small-Scale Industry (NBSSI) to access opportunities to expand.
He said the Minister of Agriculture was collaborating with the Trade Minister to address their issues.
Mr Asamani admonished the producers and processors in the value chain to be purposeful in adding value to their products, adding that the export market thrived hugely on value addition.