Pawpaaw (Papaya)
Currently, the world’s fourth largest exporter of the produce to the European Union (EU) market, the country still has enormous room to improve production and overtake major exporters such as Brazil and Ecuador, given Ghana’s favourable soil texture and fertility, as well as cost-effective production and export advantage it enjoys.
A Market Access Team Leader of the Trade and Investment Programme for Competitive Export Economy (TIPCEE), Mr Roland Adade, said apart from the EU finding it cheaper to import pawpaw from Ghana, pawpaw grown in the country was also sweeter and preferred to those produced in Brazil, which occupies the topmost spot of EU’s pawpaw market of 35,570 tonnes a year.
Mr Adade disclosed this at a papaya investment forum in Accra on the theme: “Papaya; A Rising Star in the Export Business”.
It was organised by the Federation of Associations of Ghanaian Exporters (FAGE) with the support of the TIPCEE programme of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for players in the fresh fruit farmers and exporters industry.
The forum was to expose the opportunities in the pawpaw industry and whip up interest for investments in order to increase the country’s market share.
With dotted smallholder farmers producing for export, Ghana currently has only three per cent of the 53 million-euro EU pawpaw market, although the country has all factors working to its advantage.
This compares unfavourably with Cote d’Ivoire’s market share of 10 per cent, although it has only one big producer and exporter.
The market access specialist said given that the EU and US consumption of pawpaw was still at low ends, Ghana could take advantage by differentiating its product and market them to stimulate consumption.
“We need to brand our produce and drive it in the market. Given that pawpaw from West Africa and Ghana are preferred, the differentiation can help us to sell more products,” Mr Adade stated.
Exports of pawpaw to the EU is dominated by Brazil, followed by Ecuador, Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana. Their respective market shares are 65 per cent for Brazil, followed by Ecuador and Cote d’Ivoire with 10 per cent, with Ghana controlling three per cent.
Mr Adade encouraged Ghana to explore all the advantages at its disposal, such as improving exports by sea, attracting more investments into pawpaw growing, getting the standards right, as well as applying innovation across the value chain.
The Smallholder Development Specialist at TIPCEE, Mr Walter Hevi, said growing pawpaw was more profitable compared to growing pineapples or vegetables, adding that farmers could still make gains whether they applied a high level of inputs or practised organic farming.
A study conducted by the USAID’s TIPCEE indicated that growing pawpaws for export or sale in the local market could yield profits of between GH¢3,000 and over GH¢5,000.
Mr Hevi’s submissions were corroborated by a smallholder rain-dependant papaya farmer, Mr Lemuel Mantey, who said “producing papaya is more profitable than growing pineapples and mangoes”.
He said although breaking into the local market had been a challenge, the presence of a marketing company which purchased the produce for export had greatly enhanced the profitability of farmers who grow the product.
The President of FAGE, Mr Anthony Sikpa, said the production and export of papaya had improved in recent times with the intervention of the USAID, and the government, through a policy direction as stated in its Trade Policy sought to increase the country’s competitiveness in horticultural produce.
“In the past few years, there has been an increased investment in Ghana’s horticultural industry. As part of the government’s objectives to increase exports in this sector, it has completed the refurbishment of a fruit terminal at the Tema seaport, formally known as Shed Nine, and this is expected to enhance opportunities for papaya exports,” Mr Sikpa stated.
The FAGE President expressed concern about Ghana’s small market share and called for increased investments in areas such as farm practices, construction of pack houses and cold chains as well as support for the farmers.
