Ghana responds to EU vegetable ban with blacklist system
The Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) wants to introduce a tighter system to control export commodities and blacklist rogue exporters who flout food safety regulations.
Speaking with www.freshfruitportal.com after several Ghanaian products were banned in Europe, GEPA director of research Maxwell Osei-Kusi called for robust controls of fresh produce exports.
"We first started to hear about a ban around two weeks ago. This is a problem we have on our hands right now and we are trying to deal with it," Osei-Kusi said.
"We have to make sure that phytosanitary measures are put in place and we are working with the plant protection people of the Ministry of Food & Agriculture to ensure that nobody exports to the EU.
"What is needed is a system where we can track individuals who are violating the rules so we can have them blacklisted and this will allow the whole export system to work better and get rid of the people or companies who are exporting and giving us problems. Developing this system now would be better late than never."
Osei-Kusi added that on July 31, GEPA talked with all the Ghanaian agents who deal directly with exporters, informing them of the ban and explaining the importance of heightened safety controls and the impact export bans can have on the market.
"We want to make everyone aware as best we can to make sure that nobody violates the regulations.
"When we get an issue like this we try to ensure the safety of the produce. We have product associations and they will ensure all their members are not exporting and doing what they are supposed to.
"However, we have individuals who are not business people or exporters but instead just one-time people who want to export and this is when it becomes a problem because some of these people are not doing the right things and going through the correct procedures. Then it becomes a problem for us all."
GEPA officials will be spending the coming weeks offering training and advice to farmers whether directly or through agents, and are making arrangements to meet with the plant protection division of Ghana's Ministry of Food & Agriculture this week.
"I think the plant protection people will be coming out and holding a press conference very soon on this issue because it is within its domain.
"They are not allowing anybody to export to the EU now and for foreseeable future."
Photo: bengarland, via Flickr Creative Commons