The Orange Growers Affiliation (OGA) of Ghana is poised to considerably improve the nation’s share of the worldwide orange market, constructing on the affiliation’s speedy progress and revolutionary initiatives, Opanyin Nimo Ahinkorah, the OGA Board Chairman, has stated.
The worldwide orange market is anticipated to achieve US$5.6 billion by 2032, largely pushed by elevated shopper consciousness of the well being advantages of oranges.
At the moment, Ghana trails the continent’s two high exporters of oranges – South Africa and Egypt, which earned US$807 and US$758 million, respectively, in 2022, from recent and dried oranges, based on the Observatory of Financial Complexity (OEC).
“Each a part of the orange is effective, however we’ve not absolutely taken benefit of it till now. Now, the Orange Growers Affiliation of Ghana is on observe to enormously increase our nation’s footprint within the international orange market,” Mr. Ahinkorah stated through the inauguration of the organisation’s new head workplace in Akim Oda.
He added that Ghana’s geographical place ensures extra beneficial circumstances than the market leaders, an element the affiliation intends to harness.
Traditionally, orange farmers have confronted quite a few obstacles, together with excessive post-harvest losses, pests and ailments, unpredictable market circumstances, low aggressive costs, and restricted exterior assist.
“This led some farmers to desert their farms and reduce down the orange bushes to develop different extra worthwhile crops,” the board chair defined.
Nevertheless, the formation of the OGA in 2020, by way of the initiative of Eastfield Farms, has been a game-changer for the trade.
The affiliation was born out of the need to unify and champion the reason for orange growers nationwide, with the principal goals of giving a high quality mark to Ghanaian oranges, supporting growers to be globally aggressive, adopting new applied sciences, and guaranteeing the long-term profitability of its members.
The OGA has since witnessed notable progress, increasing from 273 members in 2020 to over 3,000 members by 2024, protecting 12 districts and 82 rural communities.
“Now we have actively skilled and resourced over 800 farmers, and our membership can largely be attributed to the energy of our companions and the programmes we undertake,” Mr. Ahinkorah stated, including that the event is contributing to a change within the notion round farming locally.
OGA’s companions, together with trade giants like GIZ, Sono Ghana, Ankaa, and Compass, have performed essential roles within the OGA’s operations, offering assist starting from logistics and private gear provide to coaching seminars and introducing trendy applied sciences.
“Compass, our Ivorian associate, buys the fruits unripe, mitigating wastage and post-harvest losses, whereas Kofutus, a Spanish associate, helps to introduce trendy applied sciences and insights into orange farming and processing,” the OGA Board Chair stated, citing one such instance.
To additional increase the trade, the OGA will proceed its resolve and intention to arrange a Citrus Growth and Extension Companies Workforce to help aged farmers, increase productiveness, and guarantee conformity to trade requirements. This group can be outfitted with applied sciences like drones to assist monitor the fields and tackle points like encroachment.
The affiliation’s dedication to sustainability and progress is clear in its deal with selling sustainable agricultural practices, enhancing the standard and consistency of its produce, and including worth at each stage of the availability chain.
“By means of initiatives just like the rehabilitation of outdated farms, the introduction of cutting-edge agronomic strategies, and the institution of truthful pricing and processing infrastructure, we’re guaranteeing that orange farmers can obtain extra than simply subsistence,” Mr. Ahinkorah said.
The OGA Board Chairman acknowledged that the success of this endeavour can’t be achieved in isolation. He known as upon all stakeholders, together with the federal government, personal sector companions, and worldwide organisations, to affix fingers and collaborate with the affiliation.
“We’d like your assist, your funding, and your experience to completely notice the potential of our trade. Collectively, we are able to construct productive partnerships that may carry new applied sciences to our farms, open new markets for our produce, and supply our farmers with the instruments they should succeed,” he famous.
Consequently, OGA has known as on native and worldwide stakeholders to associate with it to drive orange manufacturing, consumption, and the sustainability of livelihoods in Ghana.