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“Pests and insects used to attack my mango farm, but not anymore” says Elder Ansah, a member of the Mango Farmer and Member of the Okere Mango Farmers Association in the Okere District of the Eastern Region and a beneficiary of the the West Africa Competitiveness Programme (WACOMP) – Ghana Mango-Pine Project.
UNIDO collaborated with CERATH Development Organization to enhance the processing of mangoes and pineapples for the international market.
This collaboration, within the framework of the European Union, financed WACOMP- Ghana's Subcontracting Matching Scheme, sought to enhance the knowledge of good agronomic and climate-smart practices, as well as handling and post-harvest practices for mango and pineapple farmers, cooperatives, aggregators, transporters, and AGROPAL West Africa Limited, a dried fruit processing company.
The Mango-Pine Project
UNIDO's WACOMP and CERATH’s project was to enhance the technological capabilities and processing methods of small and medium-sized fruit processing businesses, thus creating better marketing opportunities for the targeted farmer cooperatives and fruit processing companies from the Eastern, Central, and Greater Accra Regions.
Some companies that benefited from this project include Qualipine Union, Golden Riverside Limited, Koranco Farms, ABD Farms, F&D Farmers Association, and AGROPAL West Africa Limited.
Firstly, the project focused on helping mango and pineapple farmers by conducting scoping activities in the Eastern, Central, and Greater Accra regions working with farmer cooperatives to introduce the Mango-Pine Project. The activities aimed to thoroughly assess the challenges faced by farmers, such as post-harvest losses, pests, diseases, and limited financial resources.
Practical insights into farmers' challenges gained through scoping activities, provided the groundwork for tailored solutions that led to the success of this project.
Secondly, the project provided specialized technical and administrative capacity-building training for farmers and their cooperatives. This training included sessions on good agricultural practices, pest management, personal protective equipment, and record-keeping.
These comprehensive training programs empowered farmers to enhance their productivity, efficiency, and market competitiveness.
Before UNIDO intervened, farmers and producers in the mango and pineapple value chains in the three regions grappled with ineffective pest controls, inefficient production methods, poor quality management, and restricted access to market information and outlets leading to less profits and sustainability.
“Thanks to the training on GAPs and record-keeping through the Mango-Pine project, I can now effectively control pests and safely use pesticides, reducing infestations on my farm. This has significantly increased my mango yield. The farm record training has also helped me keep track of everything that happens on my farm. Based on what I have seen on my farm this season, I can confidently say that I will be able to ‘break’ into a great harvest and increase my revenue. Thanks to WACOMP ,UNIDO, EU and CDO
AGROPAL West Africa Limited, a company specialising in processing fruits, was experiencing challenges with their processing capacity, quality management and value addition despite having a fruit drying facility capable of processing 19.5 tons of dried mangoes and pineapples daily.
Based on the scoping activities done, it was realised that the company required assistance to implement robust quality assurance practices, to ensure compliance with industry-specific standards and enhance their supply chain management system. They also needed help developing an integrated database and traceability system to streamline operations and remain competitive.
To improve AGROPAL's capabilities, the project conducted practical quality assurance training sessions for its factory workers on pest management, good manufacturing practices, food safety, and hygiene to maintain high standards at every stage of the processing chain. It also gave support in developing an integrated database and traceability system for its supply chain.
The data collected on mango and pineapple farmers in the targeted areas was then uploaded into the database system developed for AGROPAL.
This was followed by facilitating market access for AGROPAL, by working with market entry companies to secure international opportunities, leading to partnerships with potential dried fruit buyers in the Benelux region.
The project also conducted a quality standard and pest control assessment of the AGROPAL facility, ensuring compliance with FDA, HACCP, ISO, and BRC standards to ensure food safety and infrastructure improvements, and then supported the development of quality standards and protocols to help AGROPAL achieve HACCP certification which is essential for exporting products and demonstrating compliance with international food safety standards.
Upon obtaining a HACCP certificate, AGROPAL expanded its export capabilities significantly.
Efforts to connect AGROPAL to international markets resulted in the identification and securing of dried fruits market opportunities. Partnerships with prospective buyers expanded AGROPAL's growth prospects, facilitating market access and enhancing export potential.
"The project has fostered a partnership between AGROPAL and the Qualipine Producers Union. This collaboration has resulted in over 90 tons of premium pineapples sourced from the Qualipine Union within twelve months. This achievement not only enhances the income of our members but also ensures a consistent market for fresh, high-quality pineapples,
